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When to take legal help
Generally, most home buyers remain in a dilemma: to file a case against the developer or not? Most don’t want to get involved in a long drawn legal process. Some are even scared of going against a builder. “The larger and less wholesome truth is that the current legal dispensation is ill-equipped and under-regulated to offer complete consumer protection in matters related to real estate,” said Anuj Puri, chairman and country head, JLL India. But, “many examples of customers obtaining favourable decisions upon approaching consumer courts exist, and the power of these forums should not be underestimated,” he added.
So, if you are an aggrieved home buyer, you should not hesitate in taking legal help. “Once the due date for possession is over, the buyer should visit the site and take stock of the situation by trying to assess whether the period of delay will be negligible or considerable. If the buyer feels that delay will be considerable, it would be pointless to wait further, and she should immediately file a case,” said Jehangir Gai, a Mumbai-based consumer activist.
You can also approach the court for other issues as well. “When it comes to deviations from the original project plan, which can result in a shortfall of common amenities or drastic changes to the units themselves, the customer should take action as soon as these deviations come to light,” said Puri.
But do remember that there is a stipulated time frame within which a case has to be filed by home buyers. “The consumer court will not entertain a complaint after the limitation period of two years is over from the date of cause of action. Hence, the consumer has to be very alert and should immediately file a case in the consumer court. Don’t keep the matter pending,” said Arun Saxena, president, International Consumer Right Protection Council. However, “with regard to real estate, since there will be a continuous cause of action, this provision (2-year timeline) may not strictly apply,” said S. Saroja, director, consumer advisory and outreach, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group.
There are different avenues that you can take. “A homebuyer can approach the consumer court, civil or criminal court, or the Competition Commission of India (CCI), depending on the nature of complaint,” said Saroja.
Things to do
As in any legal matter, you should posses evidence to prove your stand or allegation. Get all papers and documents ready—advertisement brochure, booking receipts with payment details, any letter sent by the developer, signed agreement, all payment details, emails exchanged, photographs collected, and others. Avoid verbal communication.
“It is important that the consumer maintains written correspondence with the builder at regular intervals during the course of construction, highlighting issues then and there, as this will be a strong point in her favour when she approaches the Consumer Fora at a later stage,” said Saroja.
However, before going for legal action, you should have raised the issue with the developer. “Buyers should always send a legal notice before approaching any forum or court with their grievance. They should have taken objection with the builder against violations or illegal demands by sending a letter so that evidence can be created in their favour to be produced at the time of proceedings,” said Pathak.
So, if you are an aggrieved home buyer, contact others and form a group. Note down the issues and information available with each person. Approach the developer as a group. If no resolution is in sight, take legal advice from an expert.
Delay of six months to a year has become commonplace in residential real estate, and most buyers expect it. But a longer delay puts additional financial burden, and filing a suit against a developer is justified.
Doors To Knock On…… Read ahead this article
Can you claim tax deduction for your under-constructed house? Can you claim tax for the home loan taken from your friend and not from Bank ? These are some of the questions which are not generally discussed over and lot of investors have no idea about actual rules. In the video below I will talk about four not so known rules of home loans . Keep reading ! . Readers on email can watch the video on this article.
Preventive Measures
1. Due Diligence:This is the first step that you should take even before you book the flat. You must conduct your own due diligence on the builder and the project. You should look at the track record of the builder and look at the average delivery time of his past projects. Then you should check whether the concerned project has received all approvals. See – documents to check before buying a flat.
When opting for a payment plan, always choose construction linked plan. In this way, you are creating an incentive for the builder to complete the project at the earliest. This will also ensure that you don’t block all your money upfront. You should always keep your options open.
2. Penalty Clause:Before handing over the booking amount cheque, you should ask for a copy of allotment letter and builder-buyer agreement. Check out the project delivery time and ensure that penalty clause is incorporated in the agreement. Generally, all reputed builders have a penalty clause in builder-buyer agreement stating Rs. 5-10 per square feet of penalty per month that the builder will pay from the promised project delivery date upto the actual handover date of the flat.
3. Form a Group
Once, you invest in a project, the next thing you would like to do is to get in touch with other buyers and investors of your project. A group has a much higher strength than an individual. In case of any delays,. These days, there are many online forums where you can meet your fellow buyers and investors.
Now Join Nitesh Caesars Palace Buyers Association(NCPBA)
4. Follow Up with Builder
Your job doesn’t get over with regular payments of your home installments. You should keep a track on construction activity. In case, you feel that the construction is getting delayed, you should meet with the builder as a group and understand the situation. A group can build more pressure and it is easier to fight for your cause as a group.
Legal Recourse
In case you feel that the builder is deliberately delaying the project, you may have to resort to take legal action. You can approach following forums for redressal:
1. Civil Court:If a builder commits breach of its obligations or is involved in unfair trade practices, you can approach a Civil Court for relief. For eg. some builders sell plots and flats even without owning the land, some use sub-standard construction material, some builders don’t apply for approvals deliberately causing delay in projects. Certain states have special provisions to handle delays by builders. the builder is liable to refund the buyer’s money with interest if he is unable to justify delay in handing over possession of flats.
2. Consumer Forum:Consumer Protection Act, 1986, protects the rights of a consumer and provides remedies to a consumer against deficient services. A delay in handing over possession of flat is deficiency in rendering of promised service by the builder. You can file a case in the consumer dispute redressal commission at three levels – district, state and national level. District commission, established in each district, can handle cases where the value of the claim is less than Rs. 20 lakhs. The State commission of every state can handle cases where the value of claim is more than Rs. 20 lakhs but less than Rs. 1 Crore. The National commission has jurisdiction to handle claims of more than Rs. 1 Crore.
3. Competition Commission of India:The Competition Act, 2002 was enacted to prevent practices having adverse effect on competition, to prohibit use of dominance and to protect interests of consumers. A flat buyer can file a complaint against the unfair practices of the builder before the Competition Commission of India which has been empowered to investigate anti competitive practices and impose stringent penalties on the offenders. Penalties imposed by CCI against a builder act as deterrent to unfair trade practices in the real estate industry.
5. Criminal Court:Along with the consumer complaint in consumer forum, you can also file a criminal case against the builder under the provisions of Indian Penal Code, 1860 for breach of contract, cheating, not responding to grievance and delivery of poor quality construction. You can send a statutory notice to the builder. If the builder does not respond to the notice, file a police complaint and then file a criminal complaint before the Metropolitan Magistrate. You should mention all irregularities committed by the builder in your complaints.
Relief Options
It is better to take legal action as a group. If you file a case as a group, your legal costs will be shared and your case can be fast tracked.
Refunds can be claimed if the project is delayed beyond the stipulated time period as per the agreement. If the builder is in trouble and not in a position to deliver the project, the flat buyer can claim for the money required to purchase an alternative flat at the current market rate in the respective area.
If, however you are reasonably sure that the builder will hand over the possession of flat in a few months or years, you can claim the money you will be spending to pay rent during the delay period. Otherwise, you can claim interest on the payment made till date.
Conclusion
Today, builders are leaving no stones unturned in attracting the investors and end users into buying their properties. First, they will promise you moon and once they get all the money, they will stop responding to your queries. Most projects get delayed due to unfair practices by builders. There cannot be any justification against the delay caused by the builder once he has taken money and has promised to deliver the project in stipulated time.
As a consumer, we must know our rights and how to seek justice. First, you should take preventive measures to avoid delays in possession of flat. If however, preventive measures are not working out, you should not hesitate in taking legal action against the builder. After all, it is our hard earned money which is at stake.
Read more: http://assetyogi.com/flat-possession-delay/#ixzz404TgVYwI
Form a buyers’ association: An individual’s plea can fall on deaf ears but forming a group could make the builder stand up and take notice. Form a joint front to put forward your demands. A collective effort would yield result in larger projects. Leverage the power of social media. An association of buyers can be started with two members. However, to add legitimacy, it is necessary to register your association. Consult a lawyer to help with the legalities. If you are lucky, t ..
Real estate developers evoke little confidence among home-buyers and it is not without reason. While, this year, a large number of them have been focussing on offering delivery of their existing projects to customers, rather than launching new projects, home buyers are facing a new issue. Several developers offering possession letters have given residents an unpleasant surprise with several demands for charges that were not disclosed earlier.Developers are demanding additional charges under various heads. While some are asking for money in the name of labour welfare charge, others are demanding huge amounts in the name of authority meters. There are other charges that are being demanded by most developers such as a one-year advance for maintenance of society, etc. In some cases, developers are cutting corners by leaving some key interior works for the customers to complete — like keeping the fire safety pipe network inside the flat exposed.
Home buyers are becoming emboldened to take on the might of real estate developers as they see courts, state governments, as well as the centre with its proposed real estate regulatory Bill taking a strict view on cases of cheating, fraud and delays in delivery against builders.
“Home-buyers have realised that civil remedies are not good enough and criminal proceedings are turning out to be more effective. This seems to be the only way left to ensure that developers deliver on their promises. With this, developers would have to take up personal and not just professional responsibility hereon,”
Read more at: click here
NCP Buyers and flat owners must join the below forums to stand united
Blog: https://ncpbassociation.wordpress.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/493665760779280/
Google Group:nitesh-caesars-palace-flat-owners@googlegroups.com
Guidance Value for Nitesh Caesar palace as on 31.01.2016 is Rs.4140/sq feet
Remedies Available for Buyers to Deal with Delay in Possession
Here are some remedies available to homebuyers for dealing with delay in possession:
1. Ask for Refund- A homebuyer can ask for a refund from his builder when there are excessive delays in completion of a housing project. As the buyer, you have the entitlement to ask for a refund from your builder.
2.File Case in Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission -If a property is being purchased by you exclusively for your personal use, you can even file a case in one of the 3 levels of the Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission based on the value of the property purchased. If the dispute occurs for a property whose value is more than 1 crore, then the case has to be filed in the National Commission located in New Delhi. For properties whose values are over 20 lakhs, the dispute needs to be resolved in front of the State Commission while for disputes related to properties below 20 lakhs, the case has to be filed in the district commission.
3.Special Provisions in Select States in India- Some states in our country enjoy special provisions for the benefit of their consumers. Maharashtra, for instance, has a provision whereby a remedy is available to you through the Section 8 of Maharashtra Ownership Flat Act of 1963. The section specifies that if a builder is not able to give proper justifications for the delay in possession or non-completion of the project, he’ll have to refund the amount, with interest, to the buyer.
4.Additional Provision- The ‘Domestic Building Contracts Act’ of 1995 lays down that the builder has to provide the following warranties:
(a) The builder should complete all the work on time.
(b) All construction work should be carried out as per the specifications and plans that have been specified in the contract.
(c) The builder should use and supply high-quality materials.
(d) The builder would endeavor to do the work with reasonable skill and care as per the legal process.
(e) The home should be apt for occupation when the work gets completed as per the builder.
5.Serve Legal Notice- Before taking any type of action against the builder, it is recommended that you serve them a legal notice and give them an opportunity to respond. The builder might take corrective actions to get the problems resolved, thus saving your valuable time and costs that are usually associated with visiting the court.
Buyers set for legal action over delays at Emaar’s Indian project
Frustrated property buyers in an Emaar-MGF development in the Indian city of Gurgaon are stepping up their action against the developers with a case set to be lodged in the consumer court.
frustrated with the ongoing delays, a group of 90 buyers, have formed a group to collectively get solid information as to when the properties will be delivered and to try and get adequate compensation.
They will take their case to the consumer court, where Metha said they hope to have their claim dealt with efficiently.“They take up a case pretty fast by Indian standards. Within three months you will get the first hearing and within 45 days the respondent has top respond,” Read Ahead
Click here to download eTutorial – TDS on sale of property-HOW TO PAY TDS ON PURCHASE OF NEW PROPERTY
1% TDS rule on sale of property explained:The 1% TDS rule on sale of property was introduced in the 2013-14 Budget to put a check on underhanded property deals.
In effect since June 2013, the regulation mandates that on sale of property exceeding Rs. 50 lakhs in India, a tax of 1% has to be deducted on the total sale consideration before making the payment to the seller.
The buyer must then deposit this 1% TDS to the Government. PAN of both the buyer and seller must be compulsorily specified while filling out Form 26QB to ensure that sellers don’t avoid taxes on the capital gains they make.This rule does not apply on sale of agricultural land.
What is the procedure to deposit TDS?
Read Ahead:TDS rule on sale of property
Nitesh Caesars Palace Buyers Association 