KULKARNI PATIERNS PVT. LTD. AND ORS. v. VASANT BABURAO . ASHTEKAR AND ORS.

JANUARY 17, 1992 B

Transfer of Property Act -Section 106-Termination notice-Sent by posf-Service-l'resumption and rebuJta~When arises.

Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947- Section 13 (1) (b)--App/icability of. c The RlSpondents-landlords filed a suit for possession or the suit premises against the appellants on the ground or default in payment or rent, amongst others. The 7th Additional Small Causes Judge, dismissed the suit holding that the service or notice dated 7-8-1980 on the defendants terminating the tenancy was not proved, even though one out of the three acknowledgements due, had been received duly signed. As regards the question or default in payment or rent, the learned Judge took the view that the case did not fall under Section 12(J)(b) or the Act, as the defendants had paid Rs. 55,800 on 16.1.1984 and thereafter made _,.l regular payment or Rs. 600 every month. On appeal by the respondent· landlords, the learned Additional District Judge reversed the findings or the trial Court and decreed the suit. The learned Additional District Judge held that when the notices are sent by registered post, it is presuaied to have been served and mere denial by the tenants had no value, unless they proved some extraordinary happenings or events which prevented following or usual course of business. On the question or default in payment or rent the learned Judge held that as the defendants did not deposit the entire arrears on the first date or hearing •nd did not deposit the further rent during the pendency or the appeal, they persistently committed defaults during the pendency or the suit and also the appeal. The appellants thereupon filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the validity of the aforesaid order or the learned G Additional District Judge. The High Court dismissed the writ petition and affirmed the order passed by the learned Additional District Judge. Hence this appeal by the appellants, after obtaining special leave.

Dismissing the appeal, this Court, H 227

228 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1992] l S.C.R.

B The plaintiffs had sent a copy or the notice to all the three defendants by registered post. Three postal receipts Exhs. 52, 53 and 54 have been med in the present case and Exh. 51, one acknowledgement receipt. As regards Exh. St, the defendants No.2 has appeared in the witness box and has denied his signatures. However, it has not been shown that this acknowledgement receipt was related to which or the C three notices sent vide postal receipts Exhs. 52, 53 and 54. [231E-F]

Tbe rebuttal, if any, made by defendant No. 2 can be related only with regard to Exh. SI for one notice but not with regard to all the three notices sent by registered post vide Exhs. S2 to S4. [232D]

D The service or notice shall have to be presumed so far as defendent company is concerned and there is no rebuttal to such • presumption by the defendant appellants. [232E]

The finding recorded by the learned Additional District Judge that the defendants were defaulter in the payment ohent as full amount E or rent was not paid or deposited on the first date or hearing and no rent was paid month by month during the pendency of the appeal could not be assailed. [2338]

Green View Radio Service v. Laxmibai Ramji and Anr., (1990] 4 SCC 497, referred to. ( F CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 4134 of 1991.

From the Judgment and Order dated 30.8.1991 of the Bombay High G Comt in Writ Petition No. 3580 of 1991.

J.P. Pathak and P.H. Parekh for the Appellants. ( A.M. Khanwilkar and S.K. Parshankar. for the Respondents.

H The Judgment of the Comt was delivered by

p. 229 Copy page pinpoint

y KASUWAL, J. This appeal by grant of special leave is directed against the judgment of the Bombay High Court dated 30th August, 1991 in a suit for possession under the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Act'). The suit was dismissed by the 7th Additional Small Causes Judge. On appeal the learned 10th Additional District Judge, Pune by judgment dated 25.4.1991 set aside the order of the lrial court and decreed the plaintiffs suit for possession. B The tenants filed the writ petition in the High Court challenging the order of the Additional District Judge, but the· same was dismissed and the decree for possession passed by the Additional District Judge was affll'Jlled.

The trial court 1held that the service of notice dated 7.8.1980 on the defendant-tenants was not held proved. The plaintiffs were unable to prove that the postal acknowledgement Exhibit 51 contained the signatures of c defendant no.2 or 3. It was held that on the point of service of notice the case of the plaintiff was rather confusing and not clear. It was held that even assuming that the notice had been served yet the case did not fall under ·Section 12 (3) (a) of the Act The lrial court also held that the case did not fall under Section 12 (3) (b) of the Act as the defendants had paid Rs. D 55,800 on 16.1.1984 and thereafter made regular payment of Rs. 600 every month. According to the learned trial court the issues were framed on ). 26.8.1985 and before that the defendants had made full payment as demanded in the notice and as such no decree can be passed under Section 12(3)(b) of the Act E Learned Additional District Judge reversed the above finding of the lrial court and held that the evidence of the plaintiff showed that the copy of the notice .was sent to all the defendants by registered post The postal receipts have been filed as exhibits 52, 53 and 54. Learned Additional District Judge further held that when the notices are sent by registered post it is presumed to have been served and mere denial by the tenants had no F ~. _..;.,. value, unless they proved some extraordinary happenings or events which prevented following of usual course of business. Learned Additional District Judge further held that the '}Otice was sent on the address given in the plaint and it was admitted by the defendant in his statement that it contained the • correct address. A presumption of service of notice was drawn under Section 27 of the General Clauses Act and Section 114 of the Evidence Act. G Learned Additional District Judge though affll'll1ed the finding of the lrial court that the case is not covered under section 12 (3) (a) of the Act, but the plaintiffs were entitled to a decree under Section 12 (3) (B) of the Act In this regard learned Additional District Judge recorded the finding that the entire arrears of rent amounted to Rs. 71,088 buf the defendant-tenant only H

230 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1992] l S.C.R_.

A deposited Rs. 66,000 till the first date of hearing and thus remained in "' arrears of Rs. 5,088. It was also held that the provisions of 12 (3)(b) of the Act are mandatory provisions and those are required to be strictly complied with by the tenants during the pendency of the suit and also appeal when the landlord· claims possession of the suit premises on the ground of Section 12(3)(b) of the Act The defendant-tenant did not deposit the entire arrears on the first date of hearing and did not deposit the further rent during the pendency of the appeal. Thus the defendant persistently committed defaults during the pendency of the suit and also the appeal in paying the rent.

The plaintiffs sent a notice dated 7.8.1980 to all the defendants vide postal receipts Exhibit 52, 53 and 54. Exhibit 51 is only one acknowledge- D ment receipt which has been produced on record.

It has been contended on behalf of the appellants that the learned Additional District Judge was wrong in drawing presumption of service of notice in the focts of the present case. It was submitted that the plaintiff initially stated that the acknowledgement receipt Exhibit 51 contained the signatures of defendant No. 3, but subsequently admitted that it contained the signature of defendant No.2. It was further argued that defendant No.2. had appeared in the witness box and clearly denied his signatures on Exhibit 5 L It was thus contended that the presumption of service of notice was rebutted and thereafter the burden lay on the plaintiffs to prove the service of notice by examining the postman or by other evidence and the plaintiffs having failed to do so, the service of notice having not established, the suit was liable to be dismissed. Reliance in support of the above contention was ..... placed on a decision of this Court to which one of us was a party in Green view Radio Service v. Laxmibai Ramji And Another, (1990] 4 S.C.C. 497. Reliance was placed on the following observations made in the above case. G "In this connection, we may also point out that the provisions i of Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act require that notice to quit has to be sent either by post to the party or be tendered or delivered personally to such party or to one of his family members or servants at his residence or if such tender or H delivery is not practicable, affixed to a conspicuous part of the ~

KULKARNIPATIERNSv. VASANTBABURAO[KASUWAL.J.J 231

property. The service is complete when the notice is sent by A posL In the present case, as pointed out earlier, the notice was sent by the plantiffs advocate by registered post acknowledge- ment due. The acknowledgement signed by the party was received by the advocate of the plaintiff. Thus in our view the presumplion of service of a letter sent by registered post can be rebutted by the addressee by appearing as witness and stating B that he never received such letter. If the acknowledgement due receipt contains the signatures of the addressee himself and the addressee as a witness states that he never received such letter and the acknowledgement due does not bear his signature and such statement of the addressee is believed then it would be a sufficient rebuttal of the presumption drawn against him. The C burden would then shift on the plaintiff who wants to rely on such presumption to satisfy the court by leading oral or docu- mentary evidence to prove the service of such letter on the addressee. This rebuttal by the defendant of the presumption drawn against him would of course depend on the veracity of his statement. The court in the facts and circumstances of a case D may not consider such denial by the defendant as truthful and in that case such denial alone would not be sufficient. But if there is nothing IO disbelieve the statement of the defendant then it would be sufficient rebuttal of the presumption of service of such letter or notice sent to him by registered post" E In the present case the plaintiffs had sent a copy of the notice to all the three defendants by registered· post Three postal receipts Exhibits 52, 53 and 54 have been filed in the present case and Exhibit 51, one ac- knowledgement receipt As regards Exhibit 51, the defendant No.2 has appeared in the witness box and has denied his signatures. However, ii has not been shown that this acknowledgement receipt was related IO which of the three notices sent vide postal receipts Exhibits 52, 53 and 54. The plaintiffs have clearly proved that three notices were sent by registered post and which is clearly born out from the three postal receipts. Admittedly the premises were taken on rent in the name of the defendant No. I namely Kulkarni Patterns PvL Lid. and it is proved that one of the notices by registered post was also sent to the company. It has been admitted by the defendant No. 2 in his Statement that the notice was sent on the correct address. The defendant No.2 in his statement has nowhere stated that no notice had been received by the company. The only denial is in respect of the acknowledgement receipt Exhibit 51 and the only inference which could legilimately be drawn is that in respect of one notice, it was not proved as H

232 SUPREME COORT REPORTS (1992] I S.C.R.

A to who acknOwledged lhe receipt of lhe notice. We do not approve the y following Slalelllent of law made by the learned Additional Dislrict Judge "that !he evidence of !he defendant did not show any extraordinary happenings or the events which prevented the following of usual course of business and thus, his mere denial has no value". However, in !he present case three notices were sent by registered post and one of which was sent B in the name of the defendant company who was the tenant, a presumption can legitimately be drawn !hat !he notice dated 7.8.1980 had been served 1 on !he company. There is no rebuual on behalf of the defendant as regards ' the notice served on the company and in the facts and circulllSlllllCCS of the ' present case we hold that notice dated 7.8.1980 sent by registered post was served on the defendant company. In Green View Radio Service (supra) it c was held that the acknowledgement due receipt contained !he signature of the addressee himself and !he addressee as a witness stated that he never received such leuer and !he acknowledgement due did not bear his signature and such statement of the addressee if believed !hen it would be a sufficient rebuttal of the presumption drawn against him. The burden will !hen shift on !he plaintiff who wants to rely on such presumption to satisfy !he coun by leading oral or documentary evidence to prove the service of such letter . on the addressee. Even applying !his statement of law in the facts of the present case, the rebuttal, if any. made by defendant No.2 can be related only wilh regard to Exhibit 51 for one notice but not wilh regard to all the three notices sent by registered post vide Exhibits 52 to 54. Thus, in the facts of !he case in hand before us we are fully convinced that the service of notice shall have to be presumed so far as defendant company is concerned and !here is no rebuual to such presumption by the defendant appellants.

The requirement of sending notice under Section 12 (2) of the Act is

- to be done in the manner prescribed under paragraph two of Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act which reads as under: -;- ''Every notice under this Section must be in writing signed by or on behalf of !he person giving it and either be sent by post to the party who is intended to be bound by it or be tendered or delivered personally to such party, or to one of his family or servants, at his residence, or (if such tender or delivery is not practicable) affixed to a conspicuous part of !he property."

The reading of the above provision clearly shows that the notice can be sent by post to the party who is intended to be bound by it. Thus, the notice sent by registered post in the name of the defendant company who JI.-..-

KULKARNIPATI'ERNSv. VASANTBABURAO[KASUWAL,J.] 233

is Ille lalaJ1l is fully in accordance with Ille requirement of section 106 of A Ille Transfer of Property ACL

So far as the finding recorded by Ille learned Additional District Judge !hat Ille defendants were defaulter in the payment of rent and full amount of rent was not paid or deposited on the fust date of hearing and no rerit was paid month by month during Ille pendency of the appeal could not be B assailed by the learned counsel for Ille appellants. Thus, Ille learned Additional District Judge as well as the High Court was right in passing a decree for possession under section 12 (3) (b) of Ille Acl As a result of Ille above discussion and findings reconled by us, we find no force in this appeal and lM same is dismissed with costs.

Y.L. Appeal dismissed.