Thursday 24 November 2016

Homebuyers move consumer court against DB Realty over delay

These homebuyers are among the 3,500 customers who have been waiting for possession of their homes since 2014 despite having paid 90% of the total amount.



MUMBAI: A group of more than 50 homebuyers has approached the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against DB Realty over delay in delivery of apartments at the developer's project DB Ozonein Mumbai's Dahisar suburb.


These homebuyers are among the 3,500 customers who have been waiting for possession of their homes since 2014 despite having paid 90% of the total amount. The matter is scheduled to be heard on September 2.


Another group of about 200 homebuyers at the same project is in the process of moving the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against the builder.


Until Saturday, more than 100 of these homebuyers had recorded statements for lodging a complaint at Kashimira police station in Mira Road. In 2008, DB Realty's subsidiary Neelkamal Realtors Suburban Pvt Ltd had started the pre-launch bookings for the project.


The construction work for the project was started in 2009 and the company had assured its buyers of possession in 2014. "We have been making construction-linked slab-wise payments regularly since 2009. We were promised delivery of our homes by 2012 verbally, while on the agreement it was mentioned as 2014," said Fahim Sutriwala, one of the buyers.





DB Realty's spokesperson said in an emailed response to ET's query, "Since the matter is sub judice we would not like to comment." The project is spread over 16 acres with 25 buildings and falls under the jurisdiction of the civic authorities of both Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar.


"In April 2016, the company told us that they don't have funds to complete the project...Now the company is saying the first four buildings will be delivered by January 2017. However, not many of us are ready to trust this deadline either," said Sheetal Kadam, one of the homebuyers who have moved the state commission.


Home buyers are questioning as to how the company can say it does not have the money to complete the project if they have already paid nearly 90% of the total amount. While the recently cleared Real Estate Regulatory Act expects a developer to maintain 70% of sales proceeds in a separate bank account to cover cost of construction and land, the current system does not have any such restriction.


The home buyers said they have been burdened with home loan instalments as well as rents during this period, and therefore, need to be compensated. The possession deadline has been extended at least four times from December 2014 to December 2015 and December 2016, while now the company is giving assurance of phased completion of the project starting January 2017, they said.





No comments:

Post a Comment