GIRDHARI LAL Vs. SUNDER LAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is a plaintiff's revision directed against the judgment and decree of the learned Civil judge of Bareilly refusing to enhance the rent, and also disallowing the claim for the recovery of rent at the enhanced rate from a back date.

(2.) THE facts of the case in brief are that the defendant opposite party has been a tenant of the plaintiff applicant for more than 15 years, and the rent previously fixed was at the rate of Rs. 38/per month. This rent was reduced in 1936 and again in 1938. After the deduction in 1938 the rent was fixed at Rs. 31/- per month with an additional annual payment of Rs. 36/-, the total rent thus being Rs. 34/- per month. On 4-5-1948 the plaintiff gave a notice to the defendant enhancing the rent by 50 per cent. The defendant did not accept this enhancement, but agreed to the enhancement of 25 per cent. only. The present suit was consequently filed for fixation of rent at rs. 51/- per month, which would be the rent payable if the enhancement by 50 per cent, were valid. The plaintiff claimed the arrears at the enhanced rate with effect from 18-5-1948, as the enhancement according to the notice, came into effect on this date. The total rent thus due was said to be a sum of Rs. 646/- out of which Rs. 387/8/- had been paid by the defendant, and the balance claimed was a sum of Rs. 258/8/ -.

(3.) THE defendant pleaded that he was liable to pay rent at the rate of Rs. 31/- per month only, and the annual Nazrana of Rs. 36/-, was an illegal claim; and that the defendant was ready to enchance the rent by 25 per cent, and he and the plaintiff agreed to this enhancement about the end of February 1949, so that the rent that was payable by the defendant was Rs. 38/12/-per month with effect from the above date. It was further pleaded that Rs. 38/12/- was the agreed rent and it could not be enhanced.