Bengaluru residents fume as Developer violates RERA, HC orders
BENGALURU: Homebuyers of Commune One apartments on Chandapur-Anekal Road in Anekal taluk are irate over the continued violations by their builder of orders issued by both the Real Estate Regulatory Authority-Karnataka, as well as the High Court. At least 200 families are residing in this high-rise residential complex, despite the lack of fire safety clearance or lift licence taken by the builder.
Speaking on behalf of the house owners, advocate Pradeep Kumar told TNIE, “They are now gearing up to take over ownership of the building, as directed by RERA. The pending works here are just not getting completed.”
Kumar said that out of 384 1BHK, 2BHK and 3 BHK apartments in the Rs 110 crore-project started in 2013 by Commune Properties India Pvt Ltd, up to 80 per cent have been sold.
“Of five blocks, 60 per cent of the work is incomplete in Block A, and only a skeletal structure is in place, while Block E needs 40 per cent of works to be completed to make it livable,” he said.
The bigger issue is that the builder pledged the documents of the apartment block to a non-banking finance company, Anand Rathi Global Finance Limited, after selling the flats to homeowners, to mobilise resources to complete the project, he said.
“The financier pasted notices outside the apartment announcing he would take over the property as the loan amount due to him was not paid regularly by the builder,” Kumar said. After they approached RERA, it ordered the builder and financier not to sell any apartments here. “However, they have coolly violated it and the builder sold many empty apartments to the financier at a rate of Rs 20 lakh per flat. He in turn has been selling them at Rs 50 lakh a piece,” the advocate explained. The sub-registrars at Banashankari and Sarjapur have gone ahead and registered the properties despite RERA-K telling them not to do so.
The issues do not end there. The Marasuru Panchayat in Anekal taluk had six months ago locked the gates of the apartment complex as the builder had not paid property tax. “They issued notices for the payment of Rs 1.5 crore. The owners pleaded with the panchayat and approached the high court which ordered the builder to pay up to 50% of the tax due. Even that has not been paid yet.” Retired Wing Commander P N Krishna Kumar, who owns a 3BHK flat here, said, “The STP is not functional and we have worms in our commode when we use the water generated by it. There could be an outbreak of cholera if things continue like this.”
A X Antony, project manager, said, “We are definitely looking at solving all the issues. We will hold another meeting in a week’s time. We will apply for fire safety clearance. We could not apply for lift licence as we did not have a permanent BESCOM connection earlier. We have got that now and will apply for it.” RERA-K Chairman H C Kishore Chandra told TNIE that a heavy penalty would be levied in case of violation of its orders.