TMI Blog2020 (10) TMI 693X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ods; in this case shares which can be extendable payable to the shareholder - the submissions made by the Respondent Company cannot be agreed upon. Whether the action of 1st Respondent Company is backed up by any contractual agreement to recover the 'rental dues' by auctioning the shares? - HELD THAT:- In the absence of a written agreement a documentary evidence to support their action, the very action of the Respondent's company was without any basis. Any of the unilateral action by one party, will not bind the others and will be set aside. Further the contention that the shops are under benami holding and not conforming to the Income Tax Act is not supported by any valid notice from income Tax authorities or any credible report to support this argument. Even if we go by submissions of learned PCS for respondents, we have not come across any steps taken by the respondent company to regularise the position in respect of the shops which are the property of respondent Company. During the arguments the bench asked to the PCS representing the company whether the company has taken any steps to get the shop vacated by the occupants for their rental arrears. The responden ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ucting structures such as shopping complexes, hotel complexes or housing complexes and let out, lease or sell. The Registered Office of the Respondent Company is situated at Palarivattom, Cochin, Ernakulam 682 025. 3. The Petitioner had filed the above said Petition under Section 59(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 for seeking an interim relief to restrain the Respondent Company from holding the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General meeting along with the main relief i.e. Rectification of the Register of Members of the Respondent Company. The averments made by the Petitioners' counsel are as follows: 4. The Counsel for the Petitioner submitted that the petitioner is entitled to be shareholder of the Company by virtue of his shareholdings in the Respondent Company to the extent of 50 equity shares under Folio No. 32. The Petitioner originally held 100 equity shares of ₹ 100/- each which he purchased by way of transfer on 04.08.2004 and the Respondent Company duly registered the same Folio No. 41. Subsequently, he transferred 50 equity shares to Mr. Raghunathan M.R. and applied for approval for the transfer of 50 equity shares along with the original share ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ing of shares of the Petitioner in the Respondent Company, by exercising lien on fully paid up shares is clearly ultra vires the provisions of the Act since lien cannot be exercised on fully paid up shares. As per Article 6(3), the company's lien shall extend to dividend only. No procedure has been mentioned in the Articles for exercising lien and the 1st Respondent Company through 2nd Respondent issued illegal tender for sale notice of 1650 fully paid up shares including Petitioner's 50 shares. 6. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the 1st Respondent Company have no power or legal right to issue new shares to third parties. The Company has no right to issue new duplicate share certificate in the place of original share certificate is with the illegal custody of the Respondent Company. The Counsel for the Petitioner stated that the Petitioner undertakes to take out advertisement of the hearing of the petition 14 days prior to the date of hearing as provided in and required by Rule 35 r/w Rule 70 of the National Company Law Tribunal Rules, 2016. The averments made by the Respondent's counsel are as follows: 7. The Counsel for the Respondent submitte ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... en on dues to the Company by the shareholder as per Article 6(2)(b) is the first step to recover the dues and it is only natural that subject shares are vested for the purpose of recovery of dues which are within the powers of the Board. 10. The Counsel for the Respondent stated that the petitioner is aware of the circumstances of the subject matter as the relevant issue of transfer of shops either through sale deed or through Rental Agreement was topics of discussion among the shareholders for the past 3 years on account of change in the circumstances on account of elapse of 33 years .Further due notices were sent to the petitioner before the subject event matter was put into effect. 11. The Counsel for the Respondent further submitted that the shares are already disposed off and transferred to another person on payment of tender amount. The Respondents have acted within its powers given by the Articles of Association read with Companies Act and the vesting of shares and subsequent disposal of the subject shares was done in good faith for recovery of rent dues in the interest of the company. Therefore, it is submitted that the Company Petition should be dismissed with exempl ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... cted from time to time and no rent was collected, therefore, the Kerala Building (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1956 is not applicable in the present case. According to Section 107 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 the lessor cannot make any claim for rental arrears in the absence of a registered instrument. The Company does not have any document to show even trace of an Agreement of Lease, much less a Registered Lease Deed. 14. Further the counsel submitted that there is no violation of the provisions of Income Tax Act, 1961 as alleged by the Respondent. The Benami Property Transactions Act, 2016 is not attracted in the present case as alleged by the 1st and 2nd Respondents. Hence, pleaded to grant the prayers as mentioned in the Petition. Arguments Notes submitted by the petitioner: 15. The learned Counsel quoted that at in Albert Judah Judah Vs Rampada Gupta Anr (AIR 1959 Calcutta 715) (para 42 and 43), Calcutta High Court held that the company will have the right to exercise the lien over the shares only. Right of the Company to sell the shares can only by instituting a suit. If the shares are not in the possession of the shareholders the Company will have only ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... and allotting the shares to a 3rd party? 19. As regard to point No. (i): To arrive at a definitive conclusion as regard to the Issue (i) we have gone through the Articles of Association of 1st Respondent Company and the Model Articles of Association given in Schedule I Table F of the Companies Act, 2013. The respondent submitted that Table F is the replica of Table A in the earlier Companies Act, 1956. As per Clause 6(1) of the Articles of Association of the Company which is as under: 6. (1) Regulation 9 of Table A shall not apply 20. The Articles of Association 6(1) clearly mention that Regulation 9 of Table A of the 1956 Act shall not apply, which means Clause 9 of Table F is not applicable to the 1st Respondent Company. As per Clause 6(2)(b) of Articles of Association of Respondent Company paramount lien can be exercised by the Respondent Company for recovery of dues. The paramount lien is extendable to dividends payable by 1st Respondent also. 21. However, the Articles of Association of the 1st Respondent Company doesn't prescribe the process to be followed for recovery of such dues payable from the Shareholders. The learned PCS for 1st Respondent and 2nd ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... mplication of law- (a) a lien on the goods for the price while he is in possession of them; (b) in case of the insolvency of the buyer a right of stopping the goods in transit after he has parted with the possession of them; (c) a right of re-sale as limited by this Act. (2) Where the property in goods has not passed to the buyer, the unpaid seller has, in addition to his other remedies, a right of withholding delivery similar to and co-extensive with his rights of lien and stoppage in transit where the property has passed to the buyer. 26. In our view the Respondent Company in the instant petition will fall under the category of unpaid seller who can exercise the above rights only. Nothing more. It is settled law as decided by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in its judgement in Triveni Shankar Saxena Vs State of UP and Ors. (in para 17 to para 22) a lien is only a right to retain which is rightfully and continuously in possession belonging to another until the claims are satisfied. It can be acquired either by contract or by operation of law. It is the right of retention of goods. 27. In the light of the above discussion and in the absence of delineated ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... goods, whereas in the latter case there is power to sell on default. A lien is merely a personal right of retention. One who has a lien has only a right of detaming the res until the money owning is paid: a lien disappears if possession is lost, and there is no right of sale. Sale on default is an incident of pledge. A pledge is assignable. A lien cannot be taken in execution, as the lien is merely a personal right: 31. In the instant petition, the Respondent auctioned the shares without the consent of shareholders and without original shre certificate and transfer form in their possession. The earlier action appears to the illegal and not as per the Companies Act 2013. As such the answer to the third point is also negative. 32. Accordingly, the company has no right to auction and allot the shares to the third parties ignoring the right of fully paid up shareholders. The rental dues claimed by the respondent company is not supported by rental/lease agreement which is agreed by shareholder. We therefore go with the averments made by the petitioner that the entire acts of the company to auction the shares appears to be malfide and with ulterior motives. In the light of our ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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