Thane: The Thane district administration has given 35 flat owners across cooperative housing societies 30 days to clear their outstanding dues or face possible attachment of their flats, the Thane District Co-operative Housing Federation said.The dues range anywhere from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per member and a consolidated outstanding amount was not available.BJP corporator and federation president Sitaram Rane said the decision was taken by District Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal on Thursday after reviewing recovery cases pending since 2022 following persistent follow-up by him and MLA Sanjay Kelkar.“The societies had first pursued the defaulters at their own level. When that failed, they obtained recovery certificates through the district registrar and approached the revenue department for further action. As the process dragged on, the societies approached us, following which we took up the matter with the Collector,” Rane said.Rane said prolonged delays in recovering maintenance dues often affected the functioning of housing societies and placed an unfair burden on members who paid regularly. Maintenance collections fund essential expenses, including building repairs, staff salaries, security, lift maintenance and upkeep of common facilities. Delayed payments disrupt these services and strain society finances, he said.“The Collector had heard the request and it was decided to give the defaulters a reasonable period to settle their dues. If they fail to pay, further action may be initiated,” a senior official who attended the meeting said.Meanwhile, an expert raised questions, stating that such actions which require sending notices for evacuation and subsequent auctioning of the property take at least six months for implementation.
