Wickremasinghe v. Atapattu – sllr 1986 volume 1 page 016

In the case between the plaintiff (owner of the premises) and the defendant (occupier/tenant), the court addressed the issue of whether premises used for a private tutory qualify as “business premises” and further as “excepted premises” under the Rent Act, with particular regard to the relevant statutory classification and burden of proof. The court determined that, although the premises were used for business purposes, the assessment had been made as residential rather than business premises, and the requisite statutory threshold regarding annual value was not fulfilled. The holding established that the plaintiff failed to demonstrate the premises were “excepted premises,” with the action for ejectment consequently dismissed and the decision of the District Court reversed. This decision r