CHENNAI: A consumer forum directed a prominent builder to compensate a sum of Rs 10.55 lakh to a customer as the construction failed to take off even after two years of paying advance.
A petition submitted by S Sathish Kumar and J Sreevidya of Choolaimedu, stated that the Real Value Promoters Pvt Ltd, after collecting a sum of Rs 15 lakh as advance for an apartment worth Rs 92,33,599, to be constructed near Tharamani under the ‘Peace and Prosperity’ brand in December 2012, never took off even after waiting for one and half years.
On April 28, 2014, the petitioner sent a cancellation request, asking for a refund of the booking amount of Rs 15 lakh for which they received a sum of only Rs 5 lakh, thus submitting a petition at the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum at Chennai South, seeking compensation of Rs 11 lakh with 18 per cent interest from the date of payment.
Denying the allegations, the builder, Real Value Promoters, argued that he had been in the field of construction for the past 20 years and necessary steps have to be followed to obtain approvals for construction. The builder said there was no delay in construction as stated by the petitioner.
However, based on the documents submitted, M Mony, president of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (South), directed the builder to pay a compensation of `10 lakh with an interest rate of 9 percent from the date of payment and `55,000 for the litigation and mental agony caused.