Maddumage Chandralatha Perera vs. Ratmalana Pedige Margaret Fernando – SC APPEAL NO. 112/2011-2011

In the case between Maddumage Chandralatha Perera (Plaintiff/Appellant) and Ratmalana Pedige Margaret Fernando (Defendant/Respondent), the issue concerned the establishment of title and ownership over a disputed property, evaluation of the Defendant’s status as a protected tenant, and whether unauthorized construction by the Defendant constituted repudiation of a tenancy arrangement. The court determined that the Defendant’s unauthorized structural alterations amounted to repudiation of any tenancy, thus rendering continued occupation unlawful and entitling the Plaintiff to eviction. This decision reaffirmed the principle that a tenant’s unauthorized construction without the owner’s consent can extinguish tenancy protections, placing reliance on the relevant provisions of the Rent Act and