Complaints outside the purview of TNRERA flooding real estate

Even as buyers are approaching the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA) with complaints against developers over non-delivery of their homes, a section are knocking on the doors of the realtyregulator with trivial issues. Refund of money for flats booked with ongoing housing projects is one such grievance that cannot be redressed by the real estate authority. "For instance, if a buyer has paid Rs 50,000 as advance for booking an apartment and wants to withdraw from the project during construction period, they can avail the refund as per the terms and conditions of the (written) agreement between the buyer and developer. Complaints cannot be filed with the realty regulator seeking the authority's intervention to facilitate the return of the advance amount from the developer," a TNRERA official said. TNRERA came into effect in Tamil Nadu after the state government notified the Tamil Nadu Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Rules, 2017, on June 22. Aimed at protecting the interests and rights of homebuyers, the regulatory body has received about 190 complaints from consumers in the past six months with a majority pertaining to delay by developers in handing over (apartment) units to the buyers. Some complaints were regarding completed projects, which, again, does not come within the ambit of the Real Estate Act. "We cannot initiate action against housing projects that have received completion certificates from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), and those declared to be structurally completed that fall under the limits of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), because such developments are out of the purview of RERA," the official said. In such cases, the aggrieved buyers should approach consumer forums for remedy, sources said.