Builder is late giving possession? What you can do
You bought a flat, paid instalment after instalment, and the possession date has come and gone. First it was "a few months", then silence, while your rent or your EMI keeps running. It is a draining situation, because so much money is stuck and the builder seems to be in control. RERA was made to change that. RERA is the government body that regulates builders.
What RERA gives you
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act made builders accountable for what they promise. A registered project has a committed possession date. A delay past that date is not bad luck you simply absorb. You usually have a remedy. The builder may have to pay you interest for every month of delay. In some cases you can walk away and take a full refund.
The steps
- Collect your papers: the builder-buyer agreement, the payment receipts, the committed possession date, and any communication about the delay.
- Check the project on your state's RERA website. Registered projects and their timelines are public.
- Send a written complaint to the builder, stating the delay and what you are owed.
- File a complaint with your state RERA authority. This is the forum made for exactly these disputes, and you can go to it directly.
When to get a lawyer
For a straightforward delay claim you can often file yourself. Large sums, a complicated agreement, or a builder fighting hard are good reasons to bring in a lawyer. This is serious money, and it is worth getting the claim right.
Tell Miss Lucy Lite the dates and what you have paid, and she will explain what the delay entitles you to.
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