Maharashtra govt to auction Nirmal builder’s Mumbai office property on January 18

The participants will have to deposit Rs 10 lakh by way of pay order or demand draft in the name of ‘Tehsildar Kula’ (Mulund)’ one day prior to the auction. The amount deposited in the auction will be refunded to the party concerned in case of non-participation in the auction or non-acceptance of final bid.

Meanwhile, the tahsildar’s office has also put a condition that during the commencement of the auction, the bid price will be higher than the upset price (total government valuation of Rs 31.81 crore). Moreover, the bids are to be made and announced in multiples of Rs 1 lakh. If the auction on January 18 is not successful, a fresh auction will be held within 30 days, informed the Mumbai suburban district collector’s office.

It is pertinent to note that several homebuyers of Nirmal Lifestyle projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have lodged complaints with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) over delayed possession of their booked flats. Several people have been waiting for their dream home for over a decade, including those who bought flats in the Mulund project. In fact, the regulatory authority also passed orders directing to pay compensation in case of delayed possession. The auction of the said property is part of the various recovery warrants issued by the regulatory over non-compliance of orders passed earlier.

Pankaj Thadani, 35, who had booked a two-bedroom hall kitchen apartment in 2011 in Nirmal Zircon for Rs 59 lakh said that he too filed a complaint to MahaRERA over delayed possession of his flat wherein he was given relief by the regulatory by offering compensation till legal possession of his flat that he purchased is given. As part of it, he has obtained Rs 6 lakh while the remaining money is yet to be paid by the developer which will come through the auction of the said office property, he added. The buyer has already paid 97 per cent of the amount to the developer.

The Nirmal Lifestyle project in Mulund has received a stop-work notice from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over non-payment of Rs 100 crore premium dues by the developer, alleged Thadani the homebuyer. “Until the developer clears the premium dues, the building work cannot begin. The auction of this Mulund property will only help the buyers who have been granted compensation or refund. However, the premium dues have to be managed by the developer on his own,” claimed Thadani.

Meanwhile, 90 per cent of the Nirmal Lifestyle project in Mulund is over. However, the buyers have been waiting for their homes for over a decade. Thadani also claimed that buyers have filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Economic Offence Wing in December 2021. However, the police have taken no proper action against the developer, he alleged.