Warnakulasooriya Felix Fernando vs P.L.P. Ethel Freeda Seneviratne – 800/95 F -2011

In the case between Warnakulasooriya Felix Fernando (substituted by K. Mary Margaret Perera) and P.L.P. Ethel Freeda Seneviratne, the court examined whether the plaintiff was entitled to an order for the transfer of premises based on an alleged oral agreement, the recovery of expenses incurred for improvements, and the right to retain possession until reimbursement. The holding established that, in the absence of a written and duly attested agreement for the sale of immovable property, oral agreements are unenforceable. The court reaffirmed the principle that tenants’ claims for compensation regarding improvements are strictly limited to statutory provisions under the Rent Act. This judgment was based on Sri Lankan statutory law requiring written documentation for property transactions and