The Brave Pedestrian

Mumbai, 8th April, 2018: This article is relevant to all home-buyers, although it is written for the 2500-odd victims of Bhagtani builders, i.e. the people who booked flats in Bhagtani Riyo (Mira Road), Sapphire (Dahisar), Serenity (Powai) and Savannah (Kanjurmarg). Bhagtani's victims have no registered agreement of sale; they only have allotment letters that looks like this specimen . Although they have paid well over 20% of flat's consideration value, the builders have deliberately avoided the duty cast upon them by MOFA (Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act) to execute registered sale agreements. Flourishing their allotment letters and a scanty understanding of their legal position, Bhagtani's cheated flat-buyers are approaching various legal forums. Over-dependency on lawyers is making some Bhagtani victims the victims of lawyers also. Due to either mental laziness or a subconscious fear of receiving bad news, people aren't asking the right questions. Some key ...

Mumbai, 20th November 2017: Buying a flat from Lodha Group can land you in deep trouble with the Income Tax Department. The small print in Lodha Group's Application Form compels you to not deduct TDS on your installments as required by law. Lodha's sales staff and Application Form illegally compels you to delegate your legal responsibility to Lodha. Such delegation can land you in deep trouble. Not only will you invite penalties from the Income Tax authorities, but worse, it can lead to scrutiny of your tax returns. Nobody in his right mind wants to invite I-T scrutiny through careless actions, but that's what can happen to you if you blindly trust Lodha's paperwork!  As a flat purchaser, you have a statutory obligation under section 194-IA of the Finance Act to deduct tax and furnish details of your property transaction to the Income Tax department. There are no exemptions. Read this article to understand your obligation as a flat-purchaser. There is no pro...

Mumbai, 16th November, 2017: Lodha Group's Application Form is like a bear-trap for prospective flat buyers. When you are preparing property papers and legal documents, every single word has to be clearly understood and agreed upon. But Lodha's customers are forced to make fatal blunders in the paperwork right in the beginning. The consequence of those blunders is that Lodha Group gets a crushing grip on your balls, which it squeezes whenever it wants. If you are a Lodha customer who tried to stand up for your own rights, you may have experienced this crushing grip. Lodha Group's insidious Application Form is not declared before MahaRERA. Lodha Group insiders never share a copy, but we have procured it. Click here to download . These are the papers you are sweet-talked into filling up in the euphoric afterglow of a site visit.   UNDERSTAND HOW THE FORM WORKS AGAINST YOU : 1. The Application Form reverses who is the promisor and the promisee. Lodha's...