GURGAON: Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Hrera) has ordered a developer to pay two homebuyers over Rs 22 lakh for delay – of six years – in handing over a residential unit in Sector 88B.On Sept 2, Rera adjudicating officer Rajender Kumar directed Vatika Ltd to pay nearly Rs 22.7 lakh in compensation to the complainants – Col Pramod Kumar Mishra and Saroj Singh – for delaying the handover of the unit in its Xpressions project, besides paying 11% annual interest on the compensation amount from the date of the order till realisation.The agreement was executed in Aug 2016. The buyers alleged that despite being assured possession by Aug 11, 2020, with an additional 60-day extension, the developer failed to hand over the unit.The adjudicating officer also awarded Rs 1 lakh for mental agony and harassment and Rs 50,000 as litigation costs. The total sale consideration mentioned in the builder-buyer agreement – for the unit HSG-028, measuring 1,700 sq ft – was Rs 1,04,39,097, while the buyers had paid Rs 21,19,126 to the developer by June 13, 2017.They later sought refund, interest and compensation. The authority had earlier, through an order dated April 23, 2024, directed the developer to refund the amount paid by the complainants along with interest.The buyers also sought compensation towards rent and interest paid on their housing loan. However, the adjudicating officer rejected these claims, observing that allowing compensation for rent or reimbursement of bank interest, in addition to interest already awarded on the deposited amount, would not be an appropriate basis for compensation.The officer, however, held that the developer had enjoyed the buyers’ money without delivering possession within the agreed period, resulting in disproportionate gain and consequential loss to the allottees.
