Mumbai: Builder asked to pay Rs 41 crore to Cuffe Parade-based family for delayed project

Mumbai: A Cuffe Parade-based family were relieved after the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission ruled against a property developer asking them to refund Rs 41.12 crore for delayed construction. The ruling was given to Turf Estate, a joint venture of DB Realty and Jony Estates, in connection with a project in Worli involving handing over of four duplex flats to four members of the family. The commission ruling revealed that the amount is decided based on the interest rate of 9% per annum.

The commission has also directed the two construction companies to pay Rs 20 lakh as compensation and Rs one lakh towards litigation cost from the four complainants in the case. “The family had booked the duplexes in August 2009 in Orchid Turf View project at Worli. The records revealed that they had paid Rs 32 crore in all for the properties,” said a member from the commission.

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The payments were made in several installments starting with a booking token of Rs 50 lakh. The total cash payment by each of the complainant was to the tune of Rs10.28 crore. The complainants approached the commission in December 2015 after they failed to receive satisfactory responses from the developers even after sending legal notices to them. “The time frame for allotment of the properties had gone beyond the time mentioned in the agreement copies by the developers,” added the member.

The commission was informed that the buyers were kept in loop at the time of purchasing the properties. At that stage, the developers had to change the layout of the project after changes were made in the development control regulations. The commission rapped the developers stating that the project should have been completed within the reasonable time as they had charged a hefty sum from the buyers.