Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm  My building Association has forcefully applied uniform maintenance costs irrespective of a flat’s size. I have raised my grievance and referred to the Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act as well. How do I proceed? Ranjit Nayar Chennai The maintenance charges have to be levied based on the ratio of holding of undivided share in land...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I own a CMDA approved plot measuring 1,200 sq.ft. (20 x 60") at Kodungaiyur. While planning to construct on the land, I realised the frontal portion of the plot measures correctly but the rear end measures only 19 feet. The plot has houses on all three sides. How do I go about getting an approval...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I purchased a flat on the outskirts of Chennai and registered it in Feb 2015. The property is a joint venture between the builder and the land owner with a share of 79:21 respectively. Of the 21 per cent share, the land owner agreed to sell 7.7 per cent to a partnership firm (which is...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I stay in a residential complex. While many flats are owner-occupied, there are a few which are either on lease or rent. It has been the practice of our Association to issue a receipt to owners on payment of the monthly maintenance charges. This also includes apartments occupied by the tenants who have asked us...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm We live in a seven-unit apartment, with five different families and two apartments owned by the builder. The builder had said that only six car parks were available and the same had been earmarked to the respective owners. One of the ground floor apartments were not alotted a car park at the time of purchase....

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I (along with three others) stay in a TNHB apartment block at KK Nagar. It was allotted to us in 1972 . With the consent of owners of all the apartments, in May 2015, we signed a joint venture agreement with a builder to construct eight flats. It was decided to allot four units to...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I have a piece of land at Korattur in my wife’s name. She received the land from her father through a gift deed seven years ago. He owned this land for 30 years and we have all pertaining land documents of the past 40 years. We changed the following in our name: town survey land...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm My grand father passed away in 1943 and I have a schedule of land records showing a joint property measuring 2.93 acres — belonging to 15 persons — which includes him. The remaining 14 were his kith and kin. The records mention the village’s name and number, taluk name, district name, survey number, old survey/paimash,...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm My late father has a property in Chennai. He got the building plan approved in his name but he expired before the structure was completed. He had got a settlement deed of his property made in the names of both my minor children. Can we pay the property tax in his name? Is there any...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I own a flat in an apartment complex at Anantapur, AP. A few flat owners have constructed grills in common areas to make room. Is this permissible? If not, whom should I have to approach to get them removed? Is there any legal remedy? Sree Krishna Andhra Pradesh Any common area, as the name itself...