137-yr-old Parsi club agrees to surrender part of its property
The Ripon Club, in a statement issued through a Parsi publication, said its members have voted to surrender the fourth floor of the two-storeyed club, housed in the NM Wadia building, to settle the issue.
A 137-year-old club, exclusively for Parsis at Kala Ghoda in south Mumbai, has agreed to surrender a part of its premises to its landlord over a long-running eviction dispute.
The Ripon Club, in a statement issued through a Parsi publication, said its members have voted to surrender the fourth floor of the two-storeyed club, housed in the NM Wadia building, to settle the issue.
When HT contacted the trustees of the club, one of them said that they were in talks with the landlord to figure out a deal. “Since the matter is sub judice, I cannot really comment on it,” said the office bearer.
However, the club’s president Xerxes Dastur issued a statement in the community magazine Parsiana, saying the 700-odd club members “overwhelmingly voted on April 22, 2019, to surrender the fourth floor of their two-storeyed club premises to settle a long-time eviction suit filed by the landlord — NM Wadia Charities.”
In return, the statement reads, the landlord has agreed in principle to temporarily rent out the fourth floor and terrace area (each measuring around 4,000 sq ft) and share 35% of the income with the Ripon Club.
However, some club members said they have opposed the plan and the decision was made without any resolution being passed. “We had earlier written a letter asking about the proposal that would be placed before the general body of members, but received no response,” said Khushru Zaiwala, a member of the club. “All of a sudden, without any consultation, the announcement was made on Monday to hand over the tenancy rights of the club, which is illegal and bad in law.”
When the landlord of the club was contacted, he had not received any communication from the club’s office bearers.
The Ripon club was founded in 1884 with the backing of the then Viceroy Lord Ripon, after whom it is named for. Today, according to its website, it is a “quaint, ‘ole English-style’ establishment for [Parsi] lawyers, businessmen and chartered accountants.” Non-Zoroastrian guests must be accompanied by members.
