1[(1) In the absence of a contract or local law or usage to the contrary, a lease of immovable property for agricultural or manufacturing purposes shall be deemed to be a lease from year to year, terminable, on the part of either lessor or lessee, by six months’ notice; and a lease of immovable property for any other purpose shall be deemed to be a lease from month to month, terminable, on the part of either lessor or lessee, by fifteen days’ notice.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the period mentioned in sub-section (1) shall commence from the date of receipt of notice.
(3) A notice under sub-section (1) shall not be deemed to be invalid merely because the period mentioned therein falls short of the period specified under that sub-section, where a suit or proceeding is filed after the expiry of the period mentioned in that sub-section.
(4) Every notice under sub-section (1) must be in writing, signed by or on behalf of the 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 the property.]
COMMENTS
If any person claims to the contrary that the lease was for a fixed term or to be a yearly lease instead of a lease from month to month he has to prove by legal, valid and reliable evidence. Therefore the burden lay upon the defendant to prove his contrary claim that lease was for a fixed term of five years and the lease would be entered at the option and wish of the lessee; Punjab National Bank v. Ganga Narain Kapur, AIR 1994 All 221.
Service of notice
Notice sent on correct address to addressee who refused to accept it. Presumption lies with regard to notice on addressee/defendant. It is addressee/defendant who has to prove that either notice was not sent on correct address or same was not served upon him; Kali Ram v. Mirza Wakar Ali, AIR 2005 NOC 296 (UP).
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1. Subs. by Act 3 of 2003, sec. 2, for section 106 (w.e.f. 31-12-2002).
Section 106, before substitution, stood as under: “106. Duration of certain leases in absence of written contract or local usage.—
In the absence of a contract or local law or usage to the contrary, a lease of immoveable property for agricultural or manufacturing purposes shall be deemed to be a lease from year to year, terminable, on the part of either lessor or lessee, by six months’ notice expiring with the end of a year of the tenancy; and a lease of immoveable property for any other purpose shall be deemed to be a lease from month to month, terminable, on the part of either lessor or lessee, by fifteen days’ notice expiring with the end of a month of the tenancy.
Every notice under this section must be in writing, signed by or on behalf of the 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 the property”.