rental shop
Querist :
Anonymous
(Querist) 04 July 2011
This query is : Open
My father alongwith his friends and relatives formed a Social group A and took a room/shop on rent for running a library on behalf of A as Secretary of A from a Religious Society B in Agra U.P. approximately 70 years back. Recently I got a photocopy of Rent Agreement . The rent agreement was written as " This agreement is entered between Sri ………………… son of late Sri ..……………….. resident of ……………………….. Secretary of A "…………to be called as Tenant and Manager of B………… Sri ………………… son of ……… ..…to be called as Landlord.” I mean that the agreement was directly in his name, not in the name of the Social group A. But in the last para of the agreement following condition was mentioned - "both the A & B will keep one copy of agreement at their respective places". The library was run by A free of cost. After around 10 years i.e. during 1951-52 my father left Agra for earning his livelihood. Then the library was run by next Secretary and after that by successive Secretaries. Now the library is closed and the present secretary/possessor is doing nothing to restart it and nobody have any knowledge about present members of the Social group A.
My father expired in 1999. He never informed me or mentioned about this library in his registered Will. Also I do not have any paper or any receipt regarding this rental property.
Now I am in receipt of a notice from the Religious society B regarding termination of tenancy, eviction and payment of rent, property tax, water tax etc. with interest @18% for 12 years and handover to B peaceful possession of the shop as I being the only son/heir of my father. I left Agra some 35 years back and I never knew anything about this room/shop till I got the notice from the landlord. I also do not have possession of this shop.
In this regard I want to know the following from experts -
1. If I contest the case, How I can prove that the tenancy was for free library, not for my father's business interest ?
2. If I do not reply and ignore the notice, What will be the consequences ?
3. Any other suggestions.
