Buddhipala Amrasinghe vs. Ajith Chitradeva Kuruppu et al. – PHC APN 54/2015-2023

In the case between Buddhipala Amrasinghe (tenant, petitioner) and the 1st to 6th Respondent-Petitioners (owners of premises at 65/15, Rodney Street, Borella, Colombo 8) as well as the 7th Respondent (Commissioner of National Housing, Western Province), the court examined whether compensation for demolition under Section 18A of the Rent Act should be confined to the value of the building alone, excluding land, and whether the inquiry held by the Commissioner met the requirements of natural justice. The court ruled that compensation is to be calculated solely on the old building’s value as determined by the Chief Valuer (Rs. 500,000, with a statutory cap of Rs. 150,000), finding the process followed complied with statutory and fairness requirements. The High Court’s prior quashing of the Co