State Govt Move Aims To Provide Relief To Homebuyers In Maharashtra

Pune : The state govt has appointed 12 dedicated recovery officers to expedite the execution of recovery warrants issued by MahaRERA against defaulting developers, providing relief to homebuyers across the state.
The move followed sustained pressure from homebuyers and MahaRERA officials seeking swifter enforcement of recovery warrants. Two recovery officers each have been assigned to Pune, Mumbai suburban, Mumbai city, Thane, Palghar and Raigad, which together account for 1,049 of the 1,342 recovery warrants issued statewide, MahaRERA officials said.
Under Section 40(1) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, recovery warrants allow authorities to attach developers’ properties to recover dues owed to homebuyers. Till now, execution was slow and district collectors managed to process only 306 of the 1,342 warrants. The officials admitted that last year’s elections hampered the process, but with a dedicated team now in place, they expect a significant improvement.
“For years, we’ve seen homebuyers struggle to get their money back despite having favourable MahaRERA orders. These appointments will finally give teeth to the recovery process,” said Medha Kaushik, a member of a homebuyers’ association.
According to MahaRERA data, of the Rs 980.39 crore dues, only Rs 209.22 crore was recovered so far, which accounts for just 21% of total dues. Developers still owe Rs 771.17 crore. Mumbai suburban alone accounts for 540 complaints and Rs 424.79 crore in pending recoveries, with only Rs 80.49 crore recovered. Pune follows with 274 complaints involving Rs 219.71 crore, of which Rs 42.31 crore was recovered.
The state order issued on April 22 designates district collectors of the six high-burden districts as coordination officers, with two additional collectors serving as recovery officers in each district. For many homebuyers, the news brings cautious hope. Priya Mohite, awaiting a Rs 65 lakh refund from a Thane developer for three years, said, “I’ve been paying both rent and EMI all this time. Hopefully, these officers will help us get our money back.”
Senior citizen Arun Sheth, who made multiple visits to the collector’s office, is similarly hopeful. Rajesh Patil, a Pune-based IT professional who invested in a stalled project, said, “Despite a favourable MahaRERA order 18 months ago, not a rupee has been recovered.” Sheetal Shah, who invested Rs 42 lakh in a project in Kalyan, said the mental trauma was worse than the financial hit. “After winning the case, I’ve been running pillar to post trying to get the recovery warrant executed. Officials kept saying they were overburdened.”

Courtesy TOI

Posted and Reproduced in Public Interest 

Adv. Sulaiman Bhimani 

Expert in RERA & Consumer Matters, Co-operative Scty Matters,

Deem Conveyance, Family Matters, and Property Disputes.

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