{"id":121279,"date":"2008-08-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-08-25T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/ms-m-k-palia-sons-pvt-ltd-vs-mumbai-municipal-corp-anr-on-26-august-2008"},"modified":"2017-11-03T06:22:56","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T00:52:56","slug":"ms-m-k-palia-sons-pvt-ltd-vs-mumbai-municipal-corp-anr-on-26-august-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/ms-m-k-palia-sons-pvt-ltd-vs-mumbai-municipal-corp-anr-on-26-august-2008","title":{"rendered":"M\/S M.K.Palia &amp; Sons Pvt.Ltd vs Mumbai Municipal Corp.&amp; Anr on 26 August, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">M\/S M.K.Palia &amp; Sons Pvt.Ltd vs Mumbai Municipal Corp.&amp; Anr on 26 August, 2008<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: D Bhandari<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: Dalveer Bhandari, Harjit Singh Bedi<\/div>\n<pre>                                                            REPORTABLE\n\n\n\n              IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA\n\n               CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION\n\n        CIVIL APPEAL NO.       5242           OF 2008\n\n            [Arising out of SLP (C) No. 4351 of 2007]\n\n\n\nM. K. Palia &amp; Sons Pvt. Ltd.                    .. Appellant\n\n            Versus\n\nMumbai Municipal Corporation\n\n&amp; Another                                               ..\n\nRespondents\n\n\n\n\n                       JUDGMENT\n<\/pre>\n<p>Dalveer Bhandari, J.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>1.   Leave granted.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p>2.    This appeal is directed against the judgment of the<\/p>\n<p>Bombay High Court dated 25.9.2006 passed in Writ Petition<\/p>\n<p>No.1989 of 2006.\n<\/p>\n<p>3.    Brief   facts giving rise   to the     present   appeal   are<\/p>\n<p>recapitulated as under:\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>      The appellant is one of the 600 lessees of the Mumbai<\/p>\n<p>Port Trust, who after a lapse of 23 years has challenged the<\/p>\n<p>rateable value fixed by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation in<\/p>\n<p>the year 1982.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>4.    There are 600 lessees and the appellant is one of them.<\/p>\n<p>According to the learned counsel appearing for the respondent<\/p>\n<p>Mumbai Municipal Corporation, 599 lessees have already paid<\/p>\n<p>the   rateable   value    fixed   by   the   Mumbai     Municipal<\/p>\n<p>Corporation. The appellant has challenged the rateable value<\/p>\n<p>fixed in the year 1982 by filing a complaint in November,<\/p>\n<p>2005.    The appellant is the lessee of commercial premises<\/p>\n<p>admeasuring 845.70 sq. meter area i.e. 9048 sq. ft.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                              3<\/span><\/p>\n<p>5.   Under Section 162 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation<\/p>\n<p>Act, 1888 (for short `the Act&#8217;), the Commissioner has to give<\/p>\n<p>fifteen days notice from the date of publication of such notice<\/p>\n<p>according to the scheme of the Act.       The notice has to be<\/p>\n<p>advertised in the local newspapers and published in the<\/p>\n<p>Official Gazette and complaints against the amount of any<\/p>\n<p>rateable value shall be entertained by the office.<\/p>\n<p>6.   In order to properly comprehend the controversy in this<\/p>\n<p>case, it is imperative to understand the scheme of the Act by<\/p>\n<p>carefully perusing the provisions of the Act.<\/p>\n<p>7.   Section 156 of the Act deals with rateable value of each<\/p>\n<p>such building and land determined in accordance with the<\/p>\n<p>provisions of the Act. Section 156 of the Act reads as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>     &#8220;156. Assessment book what to contain- The<br \/>\n     Commissioner shall keep a book, to be called &#8220;the<br \/>\n     assessment book&#8221; which shall be entered every<br \/>\n     official year-\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>          (a)   a list of all buildings and lands in Brihan<br \/>\n                Mumbai distinguishing each either by<br \/>\n                name or number, as he shall think fit;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                   4<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>(b)   the rateable value of each such building<br \/>\n      and land determined in accordance with<br \/>\n      the foregoing provisions of this Act;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>(c)   the name of the person primarily liable<br \/>\n      for the payment of the property taxes, if<br \/>\n      any, leviable on each such building or<br \/>\n      land;\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>(d)   if any such building or land is not liable<br \/>\n      to be assessed to the general tax, the<br \/>\n      reason of such non-liability;\n<\/p>\n<p>(e)   when the rates of the property-taxes to be<br \/>\n      levied for the year have been duly fixed<br \/>\n      by the corporation and the period fixed<br \/>\n      by public notice, as hereinafter provided,<br \/>\n      for the receipt of complaints against the<br \/>\n      amount of rateable value entered in any<br \/>\n      portion of the assessment-book, has<br \/>\n      expired, and in the case of any such<br \/>\n      entry which is complained against, when<br \/>\n      such complaint has been disposed of in<br \/>\n      accordance      with    the     provisions<br \/>\n      hereinafter contained, the amount at<br \/>\n      which each building or land entered in<br \/>\n      such portion of the assessment-book is<br \/>\n      assessed to each of the property-taxes, if<br \/>\n      any, leviable thereon;\n<\/p>\n<p>(f)   if under section 169, a charge is made for<br \/>\n      water supplied to any building or land by<br \/>\n      measurement or the water taxes or<br \/>\n      charges for water by measurement are<br \/>\n      compounded for, or if, under section 170,<br \/>\n      the sewerage taxes or sewerage charges<br \/>\n      for any building or land are fixed at a<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                              5<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                special rate, the particulars and amount<br \/>\n                of such charges, composition or rates;<\/p>\n<p>          (g)   such other details, if any, as the<br \/>\n                Commissioner from time to time thinks<br \/>\n                fit to direct.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>8.   Sections 160 and 162 of the Act read as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>     &#8220;160. Public notice to be given when valuation<br \/>\n     of property in any ward has been completed. (1)<br \/>\n     When the entries required by clauses (a), (b), (c) and\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>     (d) of section 156 have been completed, as far as<br \/>\n     practicable, in any ward assessment book, the<br \/>\n     Commissioner shall give public notice thereof and of<br \/>\n     the place where the ward assessment-book, or a<br \/>\n     copy of it, may be inspected.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>           (2) Such public notice shall be given by<br \/>\n     advertisement in the Official Gazette and in the<br \/>\n     local newspapers, and also by posting placards in<br \/>\n     conspicuous places throughout the ward.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>     162. Time for filing complaints against<br \/>\n     valuations to be publicly announced. (1) The<br \/>\n     Commissioner, shall at the time and in the manner<br \/>\n     prescribed in section 160, give public notice of a<br \/>\n     day, not being less than fifteen days from the<br \/>\n     publication of such notice, on or before which<br \/>\n     complaints against the amount of any rateable<br \/>\n     value entered in the ward assessment-book will be<br \/>\n     received in his office.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>     (2) Special notice to be issued in certain cases.-<br \/>\n     In every case in which any premises have for the<br \/>\n     first time been entered in the assessment-book as<br \/>\n     liable to the payment of property rates or in which<br \/>\n     the rateable value of any premises liable to such<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                              6<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     payment has been increased, the Commissioner<br \/>\n     shall, as soon as conveniently may be after the<br \/>\n     issue of the public notice under sub-section (1), give<br \/>\n     a special written notice to the owner or occupier of<br \/>\n     the said premises specifying the nature of such<br \/>\n     entry and informing him that any complaint against<br \/>\n     the same will be received in his office at any time<br \/>\n     within fifteen days from the service of the special<br \/>\n     notice.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>9.   Under section 164 of the Act, all complaints received by<\/p>\n<p>the Commissioner are properly investigated and under Section<\/p>\n<p>165 of the Act, those complaints are disposed of in the<\/p>\n<p>presence of the complainants. Sections 164 and 165 of the<\/p>\n<p>Act read as under:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>     &#8220;164. Notice to complaints of day fixed for<br \/>\n     investigating      their      complaints.-        The<br \/>\n     Commissioner shall cause all complaints so<br \/>\n     received to be registered in a book to be kept for<br \/>\n     this purpose and shall give notice in writing to each<br \/>\n     complainant, of the day, time and place when and<br \/>\n     whereat his complaint will be investigated.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>     165. Hearing of complaint.- (1) At the time and<br \/>\n     place so fixed the Commissioner shall investigate<br \/>\n     and dispose of the complaint in the presence of the<br \/>\n     Complainant, if he shall appear, and, if not, in his<br \/>\n     absence.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>          (2) For reasonable cause, the Commissioner<br \/>\n     may from time to time adjourn the investigation.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                              7<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>           (3) When the complaint is disposed of, the<br \/>\n      result thereof shall be noted in the book of the<br \/>\n      complaints kept under section 164, and any<br \/>\n      necessary amendment shall be made in accordance<br \/>\n      with such result, in the assessment-book.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>10.   Section 167 is also relevant and the same reads as<\/p>\n<p>under:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;167. Assessment-book may be amended by the<br \/>\n      Commissioner during the official year.- (1) The<br \/>\n      Commissioner may, upon the representation of any<br \/>\n      person concerned, or upon any other information,<br \/>\n      at any time during the official year to which an<br \/>\n      assessment-book relates amend the same by<br \/>\n      inserting therein the name of any person whose<br \/>\n      name ought to be so inserted or any premises<br \/>\n      previously omitted or by striking out the name of<br \/>\n      any person not liable for the payment of any<br \/>\n      property tax, or by increasing or reducing the<br \/>\n      amount of any rateable value and of the assessment<br \/>\n      based thereupon, or by making of cancelling an<br \/>\n      entry exempting any premises from liability to any<br \/>\n      property-tax.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>            (2) Every such amendment shall be deemed<br \/>\n      to have been made, for the purpose of determining<br \/>\n      the liability or exemption of the person concerned in<br \/>\n      accordance with the altered entry, from the earliest<br \/>\n      day in the current official year when the<br \/>\n      circumstances justifying the amendment existed.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                              8<\/span><\/p>\n<p>11.   According to the scheme of the Act, any person aggrieved<\/p>\n<p>by disposal of the complaint regarding fixation of rateable<\/p>\n<p>value can challenge the same by filing an appeal under section<\/p>\n<p>217 of the Act.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>12.   Section 217 of the Act reads as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      217. Appeals when and to whom to lie.         (1<br \/>\n      Subject to the provisions hereinafter contained,<br \/>\n      appeals against any rateable value or tax fixed or<br \/>\n      charged under this Act shall be heard and<br \/>\n      determined by the Chief Justice of the Small Cause<br \/>\n      Court.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>           (2) But no such appeal by the Chief Judge of<br \/>\n      the Small Cause Court shall be entertained by the<br \/>\n      said Chief Judge, unless&#8211;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>                (a) it is brought within fifteen days after<br \/>\n           the accrual of the cause of complaint;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>                (b) in the case of an appeal against a<br \/>\n           rateable value a complaint has previously been<br \/>\n           made to the Commissioner under section 163<br \/>\n           as such complaint has been disposed of;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>                 (c) in the case of an appeal against any<br \/>\n           amendment made in the assessment book<br \/>\n           under section 167 during the official year, a<br \/>\n           complaint has been made by the person<br \/>\n           aggrieved within fifteen days after the first<br \/>\n           received notice of such amendment, and his<br \/>\n           complaint has been disposed of;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                        9<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>           (d) in the case of an appeal against a<br \/>\n     tax, or in the case of an appeal made against<br \/>\n     rateable value the amount of the disputed tax<br \/>\n     claimed from the appellant, or the amount of<br \/>\n     the tax chargeable on the basis of the disputed<br \/>\n     rateable value, up to the date of filing of the<br \/>\n     appeal, has been deposited by the appellant<br \/>\n     with the Commissioner.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>     (3) In the case of any appeal entertained by<br \/>\nthe Chief Judge, but not heard by him before the<br \/>\ndate of commencement of the Maharashtra<br \/>\nMunicipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 1975, the<br \/>\nChief Judge shall not hear and decide such appeal<br \/>\nunless the amount of the dispute tax claimed from<br \/>\nthe appellant, or the amount of the tax chargeable<br \/>\non the basis of the disputed rateable value, as the<br \/>\ncase may be, up to the date of filing the appeal, has<br \/>\nbeen deposited by the appellant with the<br \/>\nCommissioner within thirty days from the date of<br \/>\npublication of a general notice by the Commissioner<br \/>\nin this behalf in the local newspapers.           The<br \/>\nCommissioner shall simultaneously serve on each<br \/>\nsuch appellant a notice under section 484 and 485<br \/>\nand other relevant provisions of this Act, for<br \/>\nintimating the amount to be deposited by the<br \/>\nappellant with him.\n<\/p>\n<p>     (4) As far as possible, within fifteen days<br \/>\nfrom the expiry of the period of thirty days<br \/>\nprescribed under sub-section (3) the Commissioner<br \/>\nshall intimate to the Chief Judge the names and<br \/>\nother particulars of the appellants who have<br \/>\ndeposited with him the required amount within the<br \/>\nprescribed period and the names and other<br \/>\nparticulars of the appellants who have not<br \/>\ndeposited with him such amount within such<br \/>\nperiod. On receipt of such intimation, the Chief<br \/>\nJudge shall summarily dismiss the appeal of any<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                        1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>appellant who has not deposited the required<br \/>\namount with the Commissioner within the<br \/>\nprescribed period.\n<\/p>\n<p>      (5) In the case of any appeal against any<br \/>\nrateable value or property tax fixed or charged<br \/>\nunder this Act, which may have been entertained by<br \/>\nChief Judge before the commencement of the Act<br \/>\naforesaid, or which may be entertained by him after<br \/>\nthe said date, the Chief Judge shall not hear and<br \/>\ndecide such appeal unless the property tax, if any,<br \/>\npayable on the basis of the original rateable value<br \/>\nplus eighty per centum of the property tax claimed<br \/>\nfrom the appellant on the increased portion of the<br \/>\nrateable value of the property out of the property<br \/>\ntax claimed under each of the bills, which may have<br \/>\nbeen issued, from time to time, since the Filing of<br \/>\nappeal, is also deposited with the Commissioner<br \/>\nwithin the period prescribed under the Act. In case<br \/>\nof default of the appellant, on getting an intimation<br \/>\nto that effect from the Commissioner, at any time<br \/>\nbefore the appeal is decided, the Chief Judge shall<br \/>\nsummarily dismiss the appeal:\n<\/p>\n<p>     Provided that in case the appeal is decided in<br \/>\nfavour of the Corporation, interest at 6.25 per<br \/>\ncentum per annum shall be payable by the applicant<br \/>\non the balance amount of the property tax from the<br \/>\ndate on which the amount of property tax was<br \/>\npayable:\n<\/p>\n<p>     Provided further that, in case the appeal is<br \/>\ndecided in favour of the appellant and the amount<br \/>\nof property tax deposited with the Corporation is<br \/>\nmore than the property tax payable by him, the<br \/>\nCommissioner shall adjust the excess amount of<br \/>\nthe property tax with interest at 6.25 per centum per<br \/>\nannum from the date on which the amount is<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                              1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      deposited with the Corporation        towards    the<br \/>\n      property taxes payable thereafter.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>13.   The entire scheme of challenging the rateable value has<\/p>\n<p>been fixed by the Corporation. There is also a statutory<\/p>\n<p>provision of filing an appeal after the complaint has been<\/p>\n<p>decided by the concerned authority.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>14.   In the instant case, the appellant has approached the<\/p>\n<p>court regarding fixation of rateable value by filing a writ<\/p>\n<p>petition after a lapse of 23 years. The other 599 lessees of the<\/p>\n<p>building have already paid the rateable value fixed by the<\/p>\n<p>respondent Corporation.       Even the appellant has also<\/p>\n<p>regularly paid rateable value fixed by the Corporation till<\/p>\n<p>1999.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>15.   In the impugned judgment of the Division Bench of the<\/p>\n<p>High Court dated 25.9.2006, it has been rightly observed that<\/p>\n<p>there seems to be no justification of approaching the court<\/p>\n<p>after a lapse of 23 years.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                             1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>16.   Faced with this situation, the learned counsel for the<\/p>\n<p>appellant tried to take shelter of the judgment of this Court in<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/doc\/1766860\/\">Jamshed Hormusji Wadia v. Board of Trustees, Port of<\/p>\n<p>Mumbai &amp; Another<\/a> (2004) 3 SCC 214.           We have carefully<\/p>\n<p>perused this judgment. It does not help the appellant at all.<\/p>\n<p>The submission of the appellant that they are entitled to seek<\/p>\n<p>review of the rateable value on the basis of Wadia&#8217;s judgment<\/p>\n<p>(supra) is totally devoid of any merit.<\/p>\n<p>17.   Nine-Judge Bench of this court in <a href=\"\/doc\/1065691\/\">Mafatlal Industries<\/p>\n<p>Ltd. &amp; Others v. Union of India &amp; Others<\/a> (1997) 5 SCC 536<\/p>\n<p>held that &#8220;once assessment or levy became final in case of a<\/p>\n<p>manufacturer-assessee, he cannot later file suit or writ<\/p>\n<p>petition claiming refund on the ground that decision of the<\/p>\n<p>court or tribunal in another person&#8217;s case led him to discover<\/p>\n<p>the mistake of law under which he paid the duty&#8221;.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                             1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>18.   The High Court correctly observed that it was not a case<\/p>\n<p>of unjust enrichment made under the mistake of law by the<\/p>\n<p>respondent.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>19.   In pursuance to the notice issued by this court, the<\/p>\n<p>Assistant Assessor and Collector       of Mumbai     Municipal<\/p>\n<p>Corporation has filed a detailed counter affidavit.      It was<\/p>\n<p>submitted that the appellant has not only failed to file any<\/p>\n<p>complaint in the year 1984 or in the subsequent years<\/p>\n<p>challenging the increase in the rateable value but also paid<\/p>\n<p>the taxes on the basis of increase in rateable value without<\/p>\n<p>any demur or protest.      Regarding increase in the rateable<\/p>\n<p>value, by no stretch of imagination, it can be said to be<\/p>\n<p>excessive, disproportionate or contrary to the provisions of the<\/p>\n<p>Act. The appellant is carrying on commercial activities in the<\/p>\n<p>prominent area of Mumbai and cannot be permitted not to pay<\/p>\n<p>a reasonable rateable value of the premises.<\/p>\n<p>20.   In the counter affidavit, it is also incorporated that the<\/p>\n<p>rateable value of the property was increased in accordance<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                               1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>with law in the year 1984-85 on account of the increase in the<\/p>\n<p>lease rent by the Mumbai Port Trust. The appellant has paid<\/p>\n<p>the taxes as per rateable value fixed by the Corporation upto<\/p>\n<p>the year 1999 and the same has attained finality under<\/p>\n<p>section 219 of the Act and cannot be re-opened with<\/p>\n<p>retrospective effect.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>21.   Section 219 deals with unappealed value and taxes and<\/p>\n<p>decisions on appeal to be final and the same reads as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      &#8220;219. Unappealed values and taxes and decisions<br \/>\n      to appeal to be final.- (1) Every rateable value fixed<br \/>\n      under this Act against which no complaint is made<br \/>\n      as hereinbefore provided, and<\/p>\n<p>           the amount of every sum claimed from any<br \/>\n      person under this Act on account of any tax, if no<br \/>\n      appeal therefrom is made as hereinbefore provided,<br \/>\n      and<\/p>\n<p>            the decision of the Chief Judge aforesaid upon<br \/>\n      any appeal against any such value or tax, if no<br \/>\n      appeal is made therefrom under section 218D, shall<br \/>\n      be final.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>           (2) Effect shall be given by the Commissioner<br \/>\n      to every decision of the said Chief Judge on any<br \/>\n      appeal against any such value or tax.&#8221;<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                               1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>22.   It was submitted by the respondent that in view of the<\/p>\n<p>aforesaid provisions it is not within the powers of the<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner or the respondent to reopen the assessment or<\/p>\n<p>make    any    alternation   in   the   assessment    done   with<\/p>\n<p>retrospective effect.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>23.   Though it was not necessary to examine the detailed<\/p>\n<p>averments of the complaint, however, in order to satisfy<\/p>\n<p>ourselves that there is no injustice done to the appellant, we<\/p>\n<p>have also looked into the facts of this case. The appellant&#8217;s<\/p>\n<p>property No. 2797(1) being used for commercial purpose was<\/p>\n<p>assessed on 31st March, 1961 at the rateable value of<\/p>\n<p>Rs.20,100\/- per annum. The premises was assessed as land<\/p>\n<p>with C.I. Shed having an area of 2860 sq. ft. assessed at the<\/p>\n<p>rate of Rs.8\/- per brass and remaining land for storage was<\/p>\n<p>assessed at the estimated rent of Rs.1,766\/-.        The property<\/p>\n<p>was, therefore, assessed at a rateable value of Rs.20,100\/- per<\/p>\n<p>annum with effect from 31.3.1961. The rateable value of the<\/p>\n<p>property was revised to Rs.25,645\/- in the year 1984-85 on<\/p>\n<p>account of increase in rent by the owner.       There has been<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                   1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>increase of Rs.5,545\/- in the rateable value after about 23<\/p>\n<p>years, which cannot be said to be exorbitant by any stretch of<\/p>\n<p>imagination.    It may be pertinent to mention that rateable<\/p>\n<p>value   for   2006-07   is   still   Rs.25,645\/-.   The     appellant<\/p>\n<p>continued to pay increased rateable value without any demur<\/p>\n<p>till 1999.     The complaint for the first time was filed on<\/p>\n<p>12.11.2005.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>24.   It is incorporated that the appellant has, however, not<\/p>\n<p>paid property tax from the year 2000 till December, 2007.<\/p>\n<p>The total amount of Rs.5,86,185\/- is outstanding by way of<\/p>\n<p>taxes an amount of Rs.64,216\/- by way of penalty and<\/p>\n<p>Rs.750\/- towards fees for notice of demand.               Admittedly,<\/p>\n<p>these amounts have not been paid by the appellant.<\/p>\n<p>25.   We do not want the appellant to get undue advantage<\/p>\n<p>over all other 599 lessees, who have been regularly paying the<\/p>\n<p>taxes within the prescribed time. The appellant by filing a<\/p>\n<p>frivolous petition should not get unjust advantage over other<\/p>\n<p>lessees, therefore, we direct the appellant to pay the entire<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                                                       1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>outstanding amount with 10% interest per annum from the<\/p>\n<p>date when the amount became due and payable along with<\/p>\n<p>penalty and the fees towards notice of demand being charged<\/p>\n<p>by the respondent.      In case the amount is not paid by the<\/p>\n<p>appellant within two months time, then respondent no. 1<\/p>\n<p>would be entitled to get 15% interest on the outstanding taxes<\/p>\n<p>from the date when it becomes due and payable and would<\/p>\n<p>also be at liberty to take appropriate steps in accordance with<\/p>\n<p>law.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>26.    This appeal, being devoid of any merit, is accordingly<\/p>\n<p>dismissed with costs.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>                                    &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;J.<br \/>\n                                    (Dalveer Bhandari)<\/p>\n<p>                                    &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;J.<br \/>\n                                    (Harjit Singh Bedi)<br \/>\nNew Delhi;\n<\/p>\n<p>August 26, 2008.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India M\/S M.K.Palia &amp; Sons Pvt.Ltd vs Mumbai Municipal Corp.&amp; Anr on 26 August, 2008 Author: D Bhandari Bench: Dalveer Bhandari, Harjit Singh Bedi REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 5242 OF 2008 [Arising out of SLP (C) No. 4351 of 2007] M. K. Palia [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>M\/S M.K.Palia &amp; Sons Pvt.Ltd vs Mumbai Municipal Corp.&amp; Anr on 26 August, 2008 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; High Court | Legal India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/ms-m-k-palia-sons-pvt-ltd-vs-mumbai-municipal-corp-anr-on-26-august-2008\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"M\/S M.K.Palia &amp; 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