III-ADJ Court, Ongole 1 A.S.No69/2015
IN THE COURT OF THE III-ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGE,
(FTC):: ONGOLE
PRESENT: D.RAMULU
III-ADDL. DISTRICT JUDGE, ONGOLE.
Thursday, this the 27th day of March, 2025.
Appeal Suit No.69/2015
Between:
1.Gorrepati Audilakshamma W/o.Nageswara Rao, aged about 70 Years, Hindu, House Wife, Resident of Ongole.[DIED]
2.Gorrepati Ravindra Kumar S/o.Nageswara Rao, Hindu, Aged about 40 Years,….Appellants/ Business, Residentof Anjaiah Road, Ongole.Plaintiff [2 nd appellant is added as per the Orders in I.A.No.278/2022 dt.18.01.2023]
AND
Adapala Satyanarayana S/o.Ramaiah, Hindu, Aged about 52 Years, Hindu, Sairam General Stores, Sridevi Complex,
North Bye-pass Road Junction, Ongole.....Respondent/
Defendant
APPEAL FILED AGAINST THE JUDGMENT AND DECREE DATED
04.03.2015 IN O.S.No.308/2005 PASSED BY THE ADDITIONAL
SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE'S COURT, ONGOLE.
Between: Gorrepati Audilakshamma…. Plaintiff AND Adapala Satyanarayana … Defendant
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 2 A.S.No69/2015
This Appeal is coming on 07.11.2024 for final hearing before me and the arguments of Sri.M.Ajoy Babu, Learned Advocate for Appellants/Plaintiff; and of Sri. P.L.Govindaiah, learned Advocate
for Respondent/Defendant, and on perusal of material available on
record and having stood over for consideration till this day, this court made the following:- // J U D G M E N T //
1.This Appeal Suit is filed by the Appellant/Plaintiff and prays to allow the appeal, by setting aside the Judgment and Decree dt.04.03.2015 in O.S.No.308/2005 on the file of Additional Senior Civil
Judge, Ongole and to decree the suit and for costs.
2.The facts of the original suit in nut shell:- the plaintiff is the absolute owner of the suit schedule property and she let out the schedule premises to the defendant on a monthly rental basis. The lease period commended from 1.4.1995. The plaintiff and defendant have entered into written unregistered lease agreement on 29.04.1995 and the original lease agreement is with the defendant.
3.The lease period of 2 years is ie., from 1.4.1995 to 31.03.1997. The rent is fixed at the rate of Rs.1000/- per month and the rent shall be payable by the defendant to the plaintiff within 5 days after completion of the month. The defendant paid an advance of
Rs.10,000/- to the plaintiff and the same was received. The plaintiff
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 3 A.S.No69/2015 shall return the advance amount to the defendant without interest, when the defendant handing over the schedule premises to the plaintiff.
The plaintiff has to pay the municipal house tax to the schedule premises. The defendant shall not give the schedule premises or part of the premises to sub lease. If the defendant desires to continue in the schedule premises even after lease period, he shall enter into another written agreement with with the plaintiff one month prior before expiration of the lease period. After expiry of the lease period, the defendant shall vacate the premises without requiring to issue statutory notices under Rent Control Act. If the defendant vacate the schedule premises in the middle of the agreement period, the defendant has to forfeit the advance amount. In case the defendant commits default in payment of monthly rents the plaintiff is at liberty to take possession of the schedule property from the defendant without any notice.
4.The plaintiff further contended that as per the recitals of the agreement the defendant agreed to pay rent amount of Rs.1000/- per month for the period commanding from 1.4.1995 to 31.3.1997. Further the defendant agreed that he hall pay an amount of Rs.1500/- per month for the next two years from 1.4.1997 to 31.3.1999, after completion of the additional two years, both parties to the agreement have agreed that the plaintiff shall be continuing at the will of this
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 4 A.S.No69/2015 defendant by enhancing the rent @ 30% for every two years incorporated in the agreement. Accordingly the plaintiff has been paying rent @ Rs.2000/- from 1.4.1999 to 31.03.2001 and Rs.2700/- from 1.4.2001 to 31.03.2003, and Rs.3600/- from 1.4.2003 till he became default. The defendant is not paying rent from 1.1.2004 till today.
5.The plaintiff further contended that the defendant became defaulter and he is not paying the rents. The defendant did not pay single pie from 1.1.2004 and he is liable to pay the rents from that day on-wards with interest. The original lease period is expired long back and the defendant is continuing in possession and he is liable for eviction. As the lease period is expired no need to issue notice u/Sec.106 of T.P.Act. Hence, the suit.
6.The defendant filed written statement contending that he is the tenant of the plaintiff’s shop. He is running provision business in the shop under the name and style of Sri Sai Ram General Stores. He took the shop on lease from the plaintiff in April, 1995. On 29.04.1995 the plaintiff and the defendant entered into lease agreement in writing. It was for the period 1.4.1995 to 31.3.1997 i.e., for two years. As per the condition of the lease agreement this defendant aid Rs.10,000/- to the plaintiff towards advance. As per the said agreement the rent was
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 5 A.S.No69/2015
Rs.1000/- per month for the agreement period. This defendant took the possession of the shop on 1.4.1995. In 2003 the plaintiff agreed to continue the lease agreement for 5 years more on rent of Rs.1000/- per month.
7.He further contended that he paid rents to the plaintiff till
August, 2004 regularly. The plaintiff was also a customer of defendant and used to come and purchase provisions. While so, from the month of
August, the plaintiff and her family members are taking provisions from the shop of the defendant highhandedly without any account. While so, in the month of September, 2004 the defendant filed a suit seeking permanent injunction against the plaintiff and her family members as they are declaring that they will dispossess the defendant without any prior intimation and the same is pending. As the defendant filed injunction suit against the plaintiff she refuse to receive rents. The defendant sent the rent of September, 2014 i.e., Rs.1500/- by demand draft of Andhra Bank, Ongole dt.4.10.2004 through legal notice dt.6.10.2004 and the same was returned. The plaintiff herein being the defendant in that suit contested the same and was dismissed on22.7.2005. The defendant being law abiding citizen deposited rent of
Rs.1500/- per month in his bank account in Andhra Bank, Ongole regularly every month without fail. The plaintiff is at liberty to take that
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 6 A.S.No69/2015 amount and the defendant will cooperate for the same. There is no default much less willful default on the part of this defendant. Hence, the suit is liable to be dismissed.
8.Based on the above pleadings the following issues were framed by the trial court.
1.Whether the plaintiff is entitled for eviction of the defendant from the schedule property.
2.Whether the defendant is liable to pay arrears of rent of Rs.79,200/- with subsequent interest at 24% p.a. from the date of suit till the date of realization?
3.To what relief?
9.The trial court answered the Issue No.1 against the plaintiff in O.S.No.308/2005 and reasons stated as follows- It was suggested to
PW1 that a false plea of commencement of rent @ 30% for every period by them to send out the defendant from the suit premises.
During the cross examination PW1 stated that except his oral statement there is no document in writing about his contention regarding the terms of commencement of rent as stated by him in para 3, page 4 of his chief examination affidavit. Considering the admission of PW1 it can be safely concluded that no iota of evidence on record to hold that the enhancement of rent @ 30% for every period is not proved. Admittedly, the defendant is depositing rent in bank vide Ex.B1 and in view of the orders passed by the Court. The plea of plaintiff that the defendant
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 7 A.S.No69/2015 committed default of rent as such she is entitled for eviction is not proved. Therefore, plaintiff is not entitled for possession of the plaint schedule property. Hence, this issue is answered against the plaintiff in
O.S.No.308/2005.
10.The trial court answered the Issue No.2 against the plaintiff.
After lengthy discussion, the trial court held that evidence of DW1 coupled with admission of PW1 in view of forgoing discussion, the trial court find that the plaintiff is not entitled arrears of rent accordingly, this issue is also answered against the plaintiff.
11.Heard both parties in Appeal.
12.This Court framed the following points for consideration under Or.41 R.31 of CPC, 1908.
1. Whether the defendant is a tenant by sufferance?
2. Whether the lease deed is compulsorily registrable or not?
3. To what relief?
13.POINT No.1:
Whether the defendant is a tenancy by sufferance?
First and foremost to determine whether the lease deed is compulsorily registrable or not and there is no lease deed at all between the plaintiff and the defendant. So, the terms and conditions of the lease deed is enumerated in the plaint and some terms and conditions
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 8 A.S.No69/2015 are agreed by the defendant. That the plaintiff is the absolute owner of the suit schedule property is undisputed. The lease period for two years from 01.04.1995 to 31.03.1996 is also an admitted fact by both parties.
And the rent is fixed for Rs.1000/- per month and rent shall be payable on or before 5th day of every month, is also an admitted fact between the parties. The defendant paid Rs.10,000/- as an advance money on condition that the same shall be returned without an interest when defendant handover the plaint schedule property to the plaintiff. The plaintiff has to pay the municipal house tax to the oral leased scheduled property. The defendant shall not give to sub lease the suit schedule property. If the defendant desires to continuing the suit schedule property even after lease period he shall entered into an another written agreement. At this juncture the original lease period itself is unwritten and unregistered, and the oral agreement contains the extension of lease period shall be in writing is dis-believable and does not inspire the confidence of the Court. And one more condition is inserted in the plaint after expiry of lease period id est 31.03.1997. The defendant shall vacate the premises without requiring to give a statutory notice. If the defendant vacate the premises in the middle of the agreement the defendant forgo advance amount of Rs.10,000/-. But, in the written statement filed by the defendant in para No.4 last two lines he pleaded
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 9 A.S.No69/2015 that on 29.04.1995 the plaintiff and defendant entered into lease agreement in writing. Where is the written lease agreement? If such written agreement is in existence why and how the defendant failed to exhibit and marked the same, is the hundred millions dollars question.
So, the version of the plaintiff that it is only oral lease and there is no written and registered lease is believed by this Court.
14.The plaintiff further contended that as per the recitals of oral agreement the defendant agreed to pay rent amount of Rs.1000/- for the period commencing from 1.4.1995 to 31.3.1997, further the defendant agreed that he shall pay an amount of Rs.1500/- per month for the next two years from 1.4.1997 to 31.03.1999, after completion of
additional two years. Both the parties to agreement have agreed that
the plaintiff shall be continuing at the will of the defendant and I remember and I remind myself exclusively that these are the pleadings of the plaintiff that earlier he pleaded that lease period for two years from 1.4.1995 to 31.3.1997 and if the defendant wants to continuing the lease schedule property he has to enter into written agreement.
And now the plaintiff himself is pleaded that as per the oral agreement the defendant is at will to continue the lease by enhancing the rent @ 30% for every two years, accordingly the plaintiff has been paying the rent Rs.2,000/- from 1.4.1999 to 31.03.2001 and Rs.2700/- from
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 10 A.S.No69/2015 1.4.2001 to 31.3.2003 and Rs.3600/- from 1.4.2003 till he became default. The defendant has not paying rent from 1.1.2004 till today which means till the date of filing of the suit on 26.10.2005. The pleadings of the plaintiff in (d) the original period is expired long back and the defendant is continuing in possession and is liable for eviction.
As the lease period is expired no need of giving legal notice under
Sec.106 of the T.P.Act, 1882. (c) And in para No.C though there is specific recital that the rent of every month shall be payable within 5 days after completion of a month, but the defendant did not pay a single pie from 1.1.2004 and he is liable to pay the rents from the day on-wards with interest. This Hon’ble Court observed that the original lease period is from 1.4.1995 to 31.3.1997. And as per the oral conditions, after the lease period is completed the defendant shall vacate without prior notice then how could he in possession of the suit schedule property till 1.1.2004. Which means the tenant is in the possession of the suit schedule property since 31.03.1997 (after completion of lease period) and he is paying rent and the landlord/plaintiff collecting the rent, thereby the defendants become tenant by sufferance. As rightly pointed by as per Sec.62 of the
Indian Contract Act, 1872: Effect of Novation, Recession and
Alteration of Contract:- If the parties to contract agreed to
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 11 A.S.No69/2015
substitute contract for rescind, alter it, the original contract
need not performed. Illustration is also given in the same
Section is as follows:-
(a) A, owes money to B under a contract. It is agreed
between A, B and C that B shall thenceforth accept C as his
debtor, instead of A. The old debt of A to B is at an end, and a
new debt from C to B has been contracted.
15.According to Lord Selborne who explained in the case of
Scarf Vs. Jardine (1882), the Novation is when a new contract
replaces an already existed one either between the same parties
or between different parties. The key point is that a new
contract takes the place of old one, and as a result, the old
contract is discharged .
16.So, the old contact is extinguished thereby, and the old contract need not be performed. Both parties adduced only oral evidence. The evidence which is confined to the words spoken by mouth is oral evidence. If the oral evidence is worthy of credit, sufficient to prove a fact or a title without any documentary evidence.
However, “verba volant, scripta manent” which means the words fly, writings remain, which is interpreted spoken words of fleeting
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 12 A.S.No69/2015
and easily forgotten why the written words are permanent and
can be revised later.
Oral evidence means making noise, as empty vessels make more noise like coins, but paper currency does not make any noise. So, papers(documents) does not make any noise, but they speak more than the tongue.
Both parties are speaking according to their tongues permits, not according to the printed matter before them.
17.So, as per the original oral rental agreement it ends 31.03.1997. The plaintiff’s case is that in Para No.C of his plaint, though there is a specific recital that of rent paid for every 5 days in month, but the defendant did not pay single pie from 1.1.2004, which means prior to 1.1.2004, the defendant paid and plaintiff has received the rents.
Though, the rental oral agreement is ended on 31.1.1997, which clearly evinced that the tenant is allowed to stay and do the business in the shop of business. The legal jargon used for this kind of contract is called
Tenant at sufferance. The word sufferance means is allowed, tenant at sufferance means tenant is allowed to continue the shop even after expiry of stipulated time by the landlord and landlord continuously collecting his rents. Tenant at sufferance is one who comes into possession of land by lawful title, but who holds it by wrong after
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 13 A.S.No69/2015 termination of the term of expiry of lease by efflux of time. The tenant at sufferance is one who wrongfully continues in possession after extinction of a lawful title. The expression holding over is used in the sense of retaining possession. The distinction should be drawn between the tenant continuing in possession after the determination of the lease without consent of the landlord and a tenant doing so with the landlord consent. The former is called tenant by sufferance in the language of
English law and the later clause of tenants is called tenant holding over or a tenant at will. In the present case the tenant is continuing in the possession of the tenancy by paying the rents and the landlord is taking the rents which means indirectly the tenant is allowed to continue even after expiry of the lease period.
18.The possession of a tenant who has ceased to be tenant is protected by law. Although he may not have right to continue the possession after the termination of tenancy, his possession is judicial, held in case of R.V.Bhupal Prasad Vs State of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 1966 SC 140.
19.Sec.116. Effect of holding over _ If a lessee or under-
lessee of property remains in possession thereof after the
determination of the lease granted to the lessee, and the lesser
or his legal representative accepts rent from the lessee or
under-lessee, or otherwise assents to his continuing in
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 14 A.S.No69/2015
possession, the lease is, in the absence of an agreement to the
contrary, renewed from year to year, or from month to month,
according to the purpose for which the property is leased, as
specified in section 106.
20.Accordingly, this Point No.1 is decided in favour of the
Appellant.
21.Point No.2:
Whether the lease deed is compulsorily registrable or not?
“verba volant, scripta manent” which means the words fly, writings remain, which is interpreted spoken words of fleeting
and easily forgotten why the written words are permanent and
can be revised later. Both parties are speaking according to their tongues permits, not according to the printed matter before them.
22.As per Sec.4 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882:-
Sec.4: Enactments relating to contracts to be taken as
part of Contract Act and supplemental to the Registration Act:-
The chapters and sections of this act which relate to contracts shall be taken as part of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
[And Sections 54, Paragraphs 2 and 3, 59, 107 and 123 shall be read as supplemental to the Indian Registration Act, 1908].
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 15 A.S.No69/2015
23.This Section must be read with Sec.107 of Transfer of Property Act, 1882. Sec. 107. Leases how made.
A lease of immovable property from year to year, or for any term exceeding one year, or reserving a yearly rent, can be made only by a registered instrument.
All other leases of immovable property may be made either by a registered instrument or by oral agreement accompanied by delivery of possession.
Where a lease of immovable property is made by a registered instrument, such instrument or, where there are more instruments than one, each such instrument shall be executed by both the lessor and the lessee:
Provided that the State Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that leases of immovable property, other than leases from year to year, or for any term exceeding one year, or reserving a yearly rent, or any class of such leases, may be made by unregistered instrument or by oral agreement without delivery of possession.
24.The very lease agreement is unregistered as it is unwritten.
So, the foundation is void. If the foundation is void, the superstructure will automatically collapse. Sublato fundamento cadit opus which means upon the removal of the foundation, the superstructures collapses. If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do, is a line from Psalm. 11:3. The line if the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do, is a question about the starting
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 16 A.S.No69/2015 point of a person and how to correct it. The word foundation can refer to the starting point of a person.
25.State of Punjab Vs., Davinder Paul Singh Bhullar & Ors- the Court held that – 107: It is settled legal proposition that if initial action is not in consonance with law, all subsequent and consequential proceedings would fall through for the reason that illegality strikes at the root of the Or.1 (1996) 11 SCC 557. In such a fact situation, the legal Maxim Sublato fundamento cadit opusmeaning thereby that foundation being removed; structure/work falls, comes into play and applies on all scores in the present case.
26.A person who wants to built edifice on a sand is a silly and engineer work for that edifice is a stupid. Similarly, both parties sans any agreement as to lease, fighting in the air without any words written and no Judge can judge the unwritten words.
27.If the two parties agree that there is a oral agreement, which is contrary to law, can be judged by a Judge. The law specifically, exclusively in black and white, provides, every lease from year to year, or exceeding one year must be registered, for which there were catena of Judgments that such lease must be registered. If such lease is taken into consideration. Is it legally valid? This court is permitted to give one
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 17 A.S.No69/2015 illustration. A sold the property worth of Rs.1,00,00,000/- to B on a white paper, without any stamp duty and registration. Thereafter dispute arise between them and both of them knocked the doors of the
Court. And both of them agreed before the Court that A and B are the seller and purchaser. Is it legally valid? If so, if every citizen of this country orally agreeing and unregistered the documents, unstamping the documents, what and how it would fill the public purse. If the public purse is empty by act of every citizen of this court, how to run the
Government machinery.
28.Under the above circumstances, the original suit would not have been numbered, as the pleadings of the plaintiff that there is a oral lease, is contrary to law, on such void plea/pleadings, a Judgment is delivered on which the appeal is preferred. As such, once again if the root is rotten the fruit is also rotten. So, the genesis of the original suit itself is contrary to law, thereby the Judgment delivered on such plea, is also contrary to law.
Point No.3:-
To what relief?
29.As per the above discussion, the Appeal Suit No.69/2015 is dismissed with costs and accordingly, the Judgment and Decree passed
III-ADJ Court, Ongole 18 A.S.No69/2015 in Original Suit No.308/2005 on 04.03.2015 on the file of Addl.Senior
Civil Judge, Ongole, is hereby confirmed.
Typed to my dictation by Stenographer, corrected and pronounced by me, this the 27th day of March, 2025.
III ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGE,
ONGOLE.
APPENDIX OF EVIDENCE
(Neither oral nor documentary evidence was let in on either side in this appeal)
III A.D.J.
Copy to :The Additional Senior Civil Judge, Ongole.