Since then, RERA has received more than 6,251 complaints against different projects. Out of these, more than 4,000 complaints have been disposed. (File)MAHARASHTRA REAL Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has issued 174 warrants of property seized in different cases against builders. But not even a single warrant of property has been executed. And this why even after obtaining orders from RERA, homebuyers have failed to get refunds.
From May 1, 2017, when RERA came into effect in Maharashtra, more than 20,000 projects have been registered.
Since then, RERA has received more than 6,251 complaints against different projects. Out of these, more than 4,000 complaints have been disposed. But in 174 such cases, RERA has passed orders in favour of the complainants. Even so, the homebuyers have failed to get refund on amounts paid to the builder.
A senior RERA official said that the matter is now out of the authority’s hands and has to be executed by the collector and deputy collector department.
RERA has issued two recovery warrants against Ravi developers under Section 40(1). It has been more than five months since the warrant was issued but no action has been taken against the developer. “My lifetime’s earnings are at stake, but due to the reach of the builder and lack of coordination between authorities, I am failing to get my money back,” said homebuyer Arun Parshuram Veer.
Veer had filed a complaint against Ravi developers, pleading for a refund under Section 18 of the RERA Act. Under this section, if a builder fails to fulfill the conditions of the flat sale agreement, then the consumer can get a refund from the builder with interest. Veer said that in 2013, he had booked a flat in the C wing of Gaurav Woods 2 on Mira Road. The developer promised to give the flat’s possession by May 2015, but failed to meet the deadline.
On May 23, 2018, RERA ordered the developer to refund the amount paid by Veer and also pay a 10.5 per cent interest. It further imposed costs of Rs 20,000 on the builder. The order stated that Veera paid Rs 65,66,856 and must be refunded Rs 94 lakh, including interest.
When Veer did not get the refund, on September 25, 2018, the RERA issued a warrant against the developer and sent it to the Thane collector, to take action against the developer and to seize the property. Three months passed but no action was taken. On January 16, 2019, the RERA wrote to the Thane tehsildar for taking action against the developer, but till now, Veer has failed to get his refund.
