Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a law firmYour property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a law firm I am the owner of a flat comprising eight other apartments. We bought this apartment six years ago and almost all the owners have repaid their loan amount. We were all given the duplicate documents of our apartments but the builder is not...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm An aged woman who has two properties — one jointly held with one daughter, and the other only in her name — wishes to divide the properties equally among her two daughters. My queries are: 1) As one property is jointly held with one daughter, does she need to write a Will to ensure her...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a law firm I am residing on the second floor in a building (stilt +4 floor) which houses two flats. My apartment was handed over to me in August 2012. We formed a welfare association but it hasn’t been registered yet. For the last three years, I am facing issues due to water seepage from the ceiling. The owner...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm For the last 27 years we have been living on the first floor of TNHB apartment quarters at IV Avenue, Indira Nagar, Adyar. The owner of the ground floor flat has occupied a vacant space near the staircase, making it tough for people living on the first and second floors to walk. He has put...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm I live in an apartment complex comprising 23 flats. One family runs a tuition centre from their home and residents are inconvenienced by the visiting children as they are noisy and also damage the walls. A warning given to the said family by the Association was ignored. The Association is not registered. How do we...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm In November 2012, my son booked a flat in a multi-storied apartment complex at Kelambakkam, OMR. As per the original agreement, the flat was to be handed over in January 2016. After several revisions to the committed dates, the last commitment made by the builder in mid-2017, was to complete the handover in July 2018,...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a law firm I purchased a 3BHK apartment and was promised handover in June 2017. I still haven’t received the unit and the builder anticipates more delays. I an unable to sell the flat as well because they haven’t got a completion certificate. How do I get back the money I have invested? Vicky Jha Chennai If the project...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm My widowed sister inherited one-third of her father-in-law’s property by a clear title. She and her other in-laws had to redevelop it with the help of a builder. They have built three floors with a CMDA approval and my sister has got the second floor as her share. The builder charged around Rs. 70 lakh...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a 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 to...

Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm The neighbours on either side of my house have started construction on their vacant land. There is lot of cement, debris and dust around my house and terrace. They do clean up after multiple requests, but it's not regular. Incase they do no oblige to my requests for cleaning and getting my house exteriors repainted,...