Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : The builder will have to pay 79 lakh plus interest. New Delhi | Online New Delhi| Updated: July 15, 2024, 4:22 PMIST Two buyers from Delhi-NCR have finally got huge relief after 16 years of wait. In 2010, these buyers had booked a 3BHK flat in a residential project of a cooperative housing society. The society had assured that the flat would be delivered within two years. By then (2012), the buyer would have received the flat, but it never happened. A home buyer who bought the flat for around 24 lakh, another one for 26.60 lakh, both collected about 40 lakh each in later years by showing various types of fees and expenses. Even then the buyers did not get possession of their flat. According to reports, initially, the project was supposed to be located in Noida, but later due to land disputes it was shifted to Ghaziabad. Then, new agreements were made and the price of flat also increased. From that time onwards, the buyers had to pay additional amount for parking, GST, service tax, escalation charges, mechanical ventilation fee, and a number of others. They both claimed to have paid as per society's demand. For the additional amount, one had also taken top-up loan. Went to the court in 2024 But still the project remained incomplete. Every time the possession was due, the society extended the deadline. Finally, the two buyers reached the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in 2024 and demanded return of their deposit along with compensation. Hearing of the case In the hearing of the case, the court found that the buyers paid their dues on time but the housing society did not deliver the flat on time. The Commission also said that the project faced extraordinary delays, and no solid documents were given by the housing society for it. Although the housing society gave reasons like land disputes, inflation, environmental rules and Kovid-19, the court did not accept any of them. The Commission held in its judgment that the housing society failed to deliver the flats to the buyers within a reasonable period and also kept their money with them for about 16 years, which means there was a deficiency in the service provided by the society. The court ordered the housing society to refund both the buyers fully their deposits. The court ordered refund of 39.08 lakh to one buyer and 40.34 lakh to another. They will also get 8.25 percent annual interest on this. Apart from this, the court also ordered each of the two buyers to be given Rs 2 lakh as compensation for mental harassment and the long wait, and Rs 50,000 each for litigation expenses. In case of non-payment by the specified time, the interest will be 11.25 percent annually.
Around the web
