K.N. SURYANARAYANAN Vs. THE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) K. N. Suryanarayan, the petitioner, owned a building with ten tenements (shops), leased out to various tenants, within the jurisdiction of the Kerala Water Authority. He purchased the tenement building in 1988 through a registered deed of conveyance. By then, Suryanarayan's predecessor had let out all the ten shop rooms to various tenants. Suryanarayan had to wage a protracted legal battle against those tenants, going up to the Supreme Court, to have them vacated.

(2.) All the ten shop rooms have door numbers assigned by the Cochin Corporation. As seen from the table incorporated in the additional affidavit filed by Suryanarayan, the shop we are concerned with bears a new door number-40/5918-initially in the occupation of one M/s. Marikkar Motors Ltd., which also had another shop as a tenant. But that is of no concern.

(3.) Initially, the Water Authority raised a bill in the name of one Mr. Seetha Rama Iyer, the original owner, and served it on the tenant demanding payment of water charges. But the tenant, through Ext.P1, replied that the shop room never had any water connection. At any rate, he informed the Water Authority that the notice could be served on the present owner, i.e., Suryanarayan. The tenant, in fact, took care of providing the owner's address, too. But, it seems, the Water Authority did not immediately act.