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Showing contexts for: New tenancy in Bhawanji Lakhamhi & Ors vs Himatlal Jamnadas Dani & Ors on 14 December, 1971Matching Fragments
Counsel for the appellants argued that the appellants were holding over as the lessors were receiving the rent from the appellants after the termination of the tenancy by efflux of time on 30-9-1958 and the fact that appellants gained immunity from eviction by virtue of the Act was quite immaterial in deciding the question whether the appellants were holding over under section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act. He submitted that as there was a new contractual tenancy created by the holding over, the appellants were entitled to six months' notice as the purpose of the original lease was for a manufacturing purpose and that purpose became incorporated in the new lease by implication of law. Counsel said that certain vital points were omitted to be considered in the decision of this Court in Ganga Dutt Murarka v. Kartik Chandra Das,(1) and therefore, the decision requires re- consideration. In Ganga Dutt Mararka v. Karlik Chandra Das, this Court held that where a contractual tenancy, to which rent control legislation applied, had expired by efflux of time or by determination by notice to quit and the tenant continued in possession of the premises, acceptance of rent from the tenant by the landlord after the expiration or determination of the contractual tenancy will not afford ground for holding that the landlord had assented to a new contractual tenancy. It was further. held (1) [1961] 3 S.C.R. 813.
that acceptance by the landlord from the tenant, after the contractual tenancy had expired, of amounts equivalent to rent, or amounts which were fixed as standard rent, did not amount to acceptance of rent from a lessee within the meaning of section 1 1 6 of the Transfer of Property Act. The act of holding over after the expiration of the term does not create a tenancy of any kind. If a tenant remains in possession after the determination of the lease, the common law rule is that he is a tenant on sufferance. A distinction should be drawn between a tenant continuing in possession after the determination of the term with the consent of the landlord and a tenant doing so without his consent. The former is a tenant at sufferance in English Law and the latter a tenant holding over or a tenant at will. In view of the concluding words of section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act, a lessee holding over is in a better position than a tenant at will. The assent of the landlord to the continuance of possession after the determination of the tenancy will create a new tenancy. What the section contemplates is that on one side there should be an offer of taking a new lease evidenced by the lessee or sub-lessee remaining in possession of the property after his term was over and on the other side there must be a definite consent to the continuance of possession by the landlord expressed by acceptance of rent or otherwise. In Kai Khushroo Bezonjee Capadia v. Bai Jerbai Hirjibhoy Warden and another(), the Federal Court had occasion to consider the question of the nature of the tenancy created under section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act and Mukberiea J. speaking for the majority said, that the tenancy which is created by the "holding over" of a lessee or under-lessee is a new tenancy in law even though many of the terms of the old lease might be continued in it, by implication; and that to brine a new tenancy into existence, there must be a bilateral act. It was further held that the assent of the landlord which is founded on acceptance of rent must be acceptance of rent as such and in clear recognition of the tenancy right asserted by the person who pays it. Patanjali Sastri J., in his dissenting judgment, has substantially agreed with the majority as regards the nature of the tenancy created by section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act, and that is evident from the following observations :-
"Turning now to the main point, it will be seen that the section Postulates the lessee remaining in possession after the determination of the lease which is conduct indicative, in ordinary circumstances of his desire to continue as a tenant under the lessor and implies a tacit offer to take a new tenancy from the expiration of the (1) [1949-50] F.C.R. 262.895
old on the same terms so far as they are applicable to the new situation, and when the lessor assents to the lessee so continuing in possession, he tacitly accepts the latter's offer and a fresh tenancy results by the implied agreement of the parties. When further the lessee in that situation tenders rent and the lessor accepts it, their conduct raises more readily and clearly the implication of an agreement between the parties to create a fresh tenancy."
It was argued on behalf of the appellants, on the basis of the ,decision of this Court in Manujendra Dutt v. Purendu Prosad Roy (1) [1920]3 K.B. p. 428. (2) [1945] 1 K.B. p. 577.
897Chowdhury & others(l) that if in the case of a tenancy to which Rent Restriction Acts applied, the Provision of section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act was applicable, there is nothing incongruous in making section 116 also applicable in the case of a statutory tenancy. In the said decision, the appellant before this Court was a tenant of a piece of land. The lease was for a period of ten years but the lessee was given the option of renewal on his fulfilling certain conditions. The lease deed also provided that if the lessor required the lessee to vacate the premises, whether at the time of the expiry of the lease or thereafter (in case the lessee exercised his option to renew the lease) six month notice to the lessee was necessary. The lessee exercised his option to renew the lease and offered to fulfill the condition therefore. In the meanwhile the Calcutta Thika Tenancy Act, 1949, was passed. One of the questions which arose for consideration was whether the Thika tenant was entitled to the notice provided under the lease. This Court held that the Act did not give a right to the landlord to evict a contractual tenant without first determining the contractual tenancy. After referring to the decision of this Court in Mangilal v. Sigam Chand(2), it was held that section 3 of the Act in question was similar to section 4 of the Madhya Pradesh Accommodation Control Act (XXIII of 1965). It was further held that on the construction placed upon the section, name IV, that the provisions of the section are in addition to those of the Transfer of Property Act, it follows that, before a tenant can be evicted, a landlord must comply with both the provisions of section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act and those of section 3. In the case before us, admittedly, the tenancy has been determined by efflux of time and what is contended for is that by the acceptance of rent, a new tenancy has been created by virtue of the provisions of section 116 of the Transfer of Property Art. In other words, the question here is whether the conditions for the application of section 116 of the Transfer of Property Act are fulfilled.