Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm

I live in an apartment building with one (GF+2 floors) and seven residential units. The ground floor has two units and the remaining space is a car park. Many of these units were bought with banks’ legal clearance and loan. The building was completed and handed over to us with EB & metro water connections in 2010, but we did not get any Completion Certificate (CC) from the builder who, at that time, said our building was not covered by a mandatory requirement of CC. Now, one of the owners is raising the possibility that our building does require CC and the builder avoided his responsibility. Is CC required for our building and what are the legal implications of not having one?

S. Kathiresan

Chennai

When a building plan has been approved by CMDA, a completion certificate should be obtained. During the period indicated by you, buildings approved by the Corporation of Chennai did not have the requirement for a CC. Your further course of action will depend upon from whom the approvals were obtained and whether the construction conforms to approvals.