Full Order Text
Final Order 1 · 28 Aug 2019 · CNR MHCC010022342019
Order Details: Notice of Motion Pdf Text: 340-2019 1 IN THE COURT OF CITY CIVIL COURT AT GR.BOMBAY NOTICE OF MOTION NO.848 OF 2019 CNR NO.MHCCO10022342019 IN S.C. SUIT NO.340 OF 2019 Mr.Datta Baburao Dhanavade ..Plaintiff V/s 1. M/s.A.R.Constructions and ors ..Defendants Ld. advocate Surbhi Gujar for the plaintiff Ld. advocate Desai for the defendants CORAM: HIS HONOUR JUDGE SHRI M.SALMAN AZMI DATE: 28/08/2019 ORAL ORDER 1. This notice of motion is tendered by the plaintiff claiming various reliefs including the relief of payment of monthly compensation from the month of January 2019 towards arrangement of temporary accommodation, till the date the defendants hand over the vacant and peaceful possession of the new premises. 2. Heard. 3. In short the contentions of the plaintiff is that, the plaintiff was the lawful tenant of room no.1, shed 2 -- 1 of 13 -- 340-2019 2 no.8/S, Bhajiwala chawl, Jivaba Atmaram Rawool Marg, Sayani Road, Prabhadevi, Mumbai400 025. The defendants are the owners of the old Bhajiwala chawl and decided to redevelop the said chawl, wherein the above said tenanted premises was situated. By demolishing the old building and constructing new building thereon, the defendants agreed to allot new premises in the newly constructed building by way of permanent accommodation on ownership basis free of costs to the existing tenants. The defendants have executed registered agreement for permanent alternate accommodation dated 22/11/2012 with the plaintiff for allotment of a new premises admeasuring 300 sq. feet carpet area on ownership basis. The plaintiff has vacated the old premises and handed over possession to the defendants for redevelopment. At that time, the defendants paid a sum of Rs.1.56 lacs including brokerage charges of Rs.12,000/ as and by way of charges of temporary accommodation for the period of 12 months from 01/06/2011 to 31/05/2012. Subsequently, time and again the defendants agreed to pay the charges with increase of 10% every year and the same was confirmed from various letters. Since 01/04/2016, the defendants stopped the payment for further compensation of temporary 3 -- 2 of 13 -- 340-2019 3 alternate accommodation. The plaintiff personally contacted defendant no.3 who assured that they will make the payment of further amount of compensation within short period. But inspite of repeated requests, they failed to make the payment. By letter dated 19/10/2016, the plaintiff requested the defendants to make the payment of compensation within seven days from the receipt of the said letter. The defendants replied the said letter by giving irrelevant reasons. The plaintiff, by his letter dated 15/11/2016, has given clarification on the issues raised by the defendants. The plaintiff again issued letter dated 13/12/2016. The defendants thereafter have returned back original documents to the plaintiff but failed to pay the further amount of compensation from 01/04/2016. By letter dated 02/01/2017, the plaintiff requested the defendants to pay the amount of temporary accommodation which they refused. The plaintiff is unable to pay the rent out of his meager income. The construction of the building was completed and somewhere in the month of August 2016, the defendants have handed over the possession of new premises to other tenants but failed to hand over to the plaintiff. The defendants have shown flat no.1604 to the plaintiff , but they have allotted and 4 -- 3 of 13 -- 340-2019 4 handed over the same to the third party. Hence, the plaintiff has filed this suit with accompanying notice of motion. 4. The stand of the defendants is that one Pandhari Motilal Yadav has set up his claim over the old tenanted premises. The said fact was brought to the notice of the plaintiff by letter dated 25/10/2016. The said Yadav had instituted RAD suit no.129 of 2015 in the Small Causes Court, Mumbai claiming to be the tenant of the old premises i.e. room no.1, shed no. 8/S, Bhajiwala chawl, Jivaba Atmaram Rawool Marg, Sayani Road, Prabhadevi, Mumbai400 025. He is disputing the tenancy and possession of the plaintiff as well as his predecessor Sneha Sadanand Kate to the said old premises. The plaintiff has not joined the said Yadav as party defendant to the suit. Even the stand of the defendant is that the plaintiff has not complied with the terms of clause (8) and (25) of the agreement. Some tenants/occupants did not come forward to take possession of new premises including plaintiff and Smt.Ghone on account of disputes or claims concerning their respective old premises which was brought to their notice. They prayed for dismissal of the notice of motion. 5. On the rival submissions of the parties, following points arise for my determination and findings to it 5 -- 4 of 13 -- 340-2019 5 are recorded for the reasons stated hereinafter: POINTS (i) Whether the plaintiff has made out a prima facie case? (ii) Whether the needle of balance of convenience tilt in favour of plaintiff? (iii) To whom the irreparable loss would be caused? (iv) What order? FINDINGS (i) In the negative. (ii) In the negative. (iii) To the defendants. (iv) As per final order REASONS Point Nos. 1 to 3 6. At the outset, there is no dispute between the parties that there was agreement dated 22/11/2012 for permanent alternate accommodation between plaintiff and defendants. From the pleadings, one thing is reflected that the construction of the entire rehabilitated building A wing was completed in August2017 and MCGM issued occupation certificate for the rehabilitated building A wing on 23/08/2017. The defendants appear to have handed over possession of new flats to about 90 out of 96 6 -- 5 of 13 -- 340-2019 6 tenants after getting the occupation certificate. So, apparently it appears that the building i.e. A wing has been constructed and completed in all respect. 7. It is the contention of the plaintiff that three flats are vacant and in possession of the defendants and the same may be handed over to the Court Receiver and further direction to hand over the vacant and physical possession of flat nos.1801 or 1802 or 1803 to the plaintiff and appoint the plaintiff as an agent of Court receiver without royalty and security. The rights of the parties are flowing from the agreement of permanent alternate accommodation dated 22/11/2012. By virtue of the said agreement the defendants were under obligation for paying plaintiff temporary accommodation charges. It is the case of the plaintiff that till 31/03/2016, the charges towards the temporary accommodation were paid by the defendants. Since 01/04/2016, the defendants stopped the payment. After a period of six months, the plaintiff issued letter dated 19/10/2016 and demanded the charges of temporary accommodation since April2016. The defendants responded the said letter vide reply dated 25/10/2016 and informed that one Pandhari Motilal Yadav has filed Court proceedings and copies of those documents were supplied to the plaintiff some what in February 2016. 7 -- 6 of 13 -- 340-2019 7 By this letter, it was also informed to the plaintiff that said Yadav is claiming tenancy rights of room no.1, Shed no.8 S, Bhajiwala chawl and further plaintiff was called upon to inquire and act as per clause (25) of the agreement. By the said reply it was conveyed to the plaintiff that plaintiff should promptly act in respect of the case pending therein and also that large amount of expenses have to be incurred in the said matter and the compensation to be received by the plaintiff have to be adjusted for the same. The plaintiff subsequently responded by the letter dated 15/11/2016 and informed the defendants that the suit is between the defendants and said Yadav and the defendants cannot withhold the compensation amount towards the temporary accommodation of the plaintiff. He further demanded the defendants to pay the electricity charges as the room was handed over to the defendants. Again the defendants were issued with the reminder on 13/12/2016 and further letter for the payment of the compensation and temporary accommodation. Thereafter letter was issued by the advocate for the plaintiff demanding the compensation. In all the letter, it was represented that the suit filed by Shri. Yadav in the City Civil Court was dismissed vide judgment dated 8 -- 7 of 13 -- 340-2019 8 20/01/2014 and the appeal preferred also came to be dismissed and the SLP filed by Yadav before the Hon'ble Supreme Court was also came to be dismissed. Therefore, the claim of said Pandhari Yadav was rejected and the defendants were called upon to make good the payment of compensation to the plaintiff. Plaintiff also wrote letters to the Chief Executive officer of MHADA and thereby requested the concerned officer to direct defendants to make payment of compensation to the plaintiff. 8. On examination of the agreement prima facie, more particularly, clause (25), it reflects that tenant has given an undertaking i.e. plaintiff that in the event of any claim or legal action against the owners, or their successors and assigns in respect of the tenanted premise or the new premises to be allotted in the proposed new building to the tenant or in the event of any person coming forward to claim any right through the tenant/occupant, such a claim shall be settled by the tenant at his/her own costs and if the owners i.e. defendants have to incur any expenditure towards such Court proceedings, the same shall be made good by the tenant and shall be paid by the tenant to the owners within 30 days of notice of demand for the same. Further, the tenant i.e. plaintiff had give undertaking to indemnify the 9 -- 8 of 13 -- 340-2019 9 owners in respect of all the actions, proceedings loss, damages, and expenses in the event of any third person claiming any right in respect of the tenanted premises or new premises to be allotted to him, or any demand to be made by the tenant in respect of the tenanted premises. Here in the case, one Pandhari Yadav has filed the proceedings before the Small Causes Court vide RAD Suit No.129/2015 seeking declaration of his tenancy rights. At the instance of the defendants, the plaintiff is also made party defendant. In that case, the tenancy rights of the parties are required to be decided. The said fact is not incorporated in the plaint i.e. about the pendency of the suit before the Small Causes Court. Prima facie, it appears that there are rival claims in respect of the suit premises. No doubt there is a privity of contract between plaintiff and defendants in respect of the tenanted premises. Apart from that the agreement speaks about the undertaking given by the plaintiff for bearing the expenses for such litigation. The plaintiff has also given undertaking to indemnify the defendants in respect of any claim by any third party in respect of the litigation of new premises. So, at this juncture, the plaintiff is not coming with the stand that he is ready to bear all the expenses incurred by the defendants for prosecuting 10 -- 9 of 13 -- 340-2019 10 the said litigation. The rights of the defendants for claiming such expenditure flows from clause (25) of the said agreement. Admittedly, it appears that since 01/04/2016, the defendants stopped making payment of compensation for temporary accommodation. It appears that for the first time, the plaintiff issued letter dated 19/10/2016 and thereafter there was exchange of letters. The last letter was issued on 15/03/2017. Since then the plaintiff has not taken any action and subsequently filed the suit after almost a gap of two years and the same cannot be ignored. Even the plaintiff, since the issuance of occupancy certificate and allotment of the flats by defendants to the other tenants, kept mum for a considerable period. 9. The Ld. Counsel for the defendants argued that at the time of interim stage, the Court should not grant relief of final nature. He placed reliance upon the judgment of Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Vishnu Babu Tambe V/s Apurva Vishnu Tambe, (2017)2 Supreme Court Cases 454, wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court held that, “Having heard the learned counsel on both the sides, we are of the view that the High Court have restrained from passing a final order on the issue at the interlocutory stage. All available contentions are 11 -- 10 of 13 -- 340-2019 11 to be raised by the parties at the stage of final disposal of the appeal.” 10. In view of the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the above cited judgment, it is clear that Court should retrain from passing any final order at interlocutory stage. No such exigency is pointed out which warrants the Court to pass an order which is of final order. If the premises is allotted to the plaintiff and the balance compensation towards the temporary accommodation is also paid to him, it would amount to grant final relief. As pointed above, the plaintiff did not knock the door of the Court of law when the payment towards the compensation for temporary accommodation was stopped by the defendants since 01/04/2016 and by the reply of the defendants dated 25/10/2016, they made aware the plaintiff that compensations were appropriated for the expenses incurred towards prosecuting the suit filed by Pandhari Yadav. The inaction of the plaintiff since long period also is sufficient prima facie, for not extending the relief of interim relief which is almost of final nature. 11. The issue as regard the claim of tenancy right is subject matter of adjudication by the Court of Competent jurisdiction. In that event if one of the flat is handed over to the plaintiff, it would give rise 12 -- 11 of 13 -- 340-2019 12 to multiplicity of proceedings and further complications. In that event, the plaintiff would not suffer any irreparable loss as there is rival claim, but defendant would would suffer irreparable loss. Thus, the plaintiff has not made out prima facie case and the needle of balance of convenience does not tilt in favour of the plaintiff. Hence, I answer point nos.1 to 3 in the negative. POINT NO.4 12. In view of the above discussion and findings to point nos.1 to 3, the notice of motion needs no consideration. Hence, it is expedient to pass following order: ORDER 1.Notice of Motion No.848/2019 stands rejected. 2.Costs in the cause. 3.Notice of motion is disposed of accordingly. 28/08/2019 M.SALMAN AZMI CITY CIVIL COURT, GR.MUMBAI. Dictated on : 28/08/2019 Transcribed on : 04/09/2019 Signed on : 25/09/2019 'CERTIFIED TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER”. 25/09/19 at 1.15 pm. MRS.T.C.KAMBLE 13 -- 12 of 13 -- 340-2019 13 Name of the Judge HHJ SHRI M.S.AZMI, CR NO.1 Date of Pronouncement of judgment/order 28/08/2019 Judgment and order signed by P.O. 25/09/2019 Judgment/order uploaded on 25/09/2019 -- 13 of 13 --
