Society sinking fund late payment charges Society sinking fund late payment charges

3 years ago

I purchased a resale flat on march 2019. I have been paying society maintainance since then but today i got a message to pay sinking funds 2,000/- rs and late payment charges of 600 rs as last date was Dec 2019. I was never informed about this earlier but they say its as per AGM discussion for which i was absent. I was never informed about these funds to be paid. I am ready to pay the funds but i think it is unfair to charge the late payment charges of 600 rs (100 per month) as no communication was done with me. What are the actions a societyember can take on this part.

Kishan Dutt Kalaskar

Responded 3 years ago

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A.You may lodge complaint with the following authority.
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Dear Sir,
The following information is exhaustive in nature
How To Register a Complaint Against Housing Society/Any other Trust/ Professionals as defined below.
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https://www.icrpc.org/icrpc.org.contact.htm

International Consumer Rights Protection Council
Consumer Court entertains consumer complaints against defective product or service. Bima Lokpal, Lok Ayukt, Lok Adalat are also places where complaints can be filed.

If you want to file complaint against builder, insurance company, housing society, bank, educational institute, hospital, doctor, railways, municipality, airlines, transport, school, college, manufacturer, dealer, etc. you can file your complaint here on this website. The process is very simple.
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Living in a housing society is akin to being in a committed relationship, except it gets murkier when things go awry as they sometimes do. We’ve all been in catch 22 situations where if a problem persists, we are damned if we try to solve it and damned if we don’t. After all, it is better to resolve a conflict or dispute peacefully in a way that is acceptable to both parties. If however, the society has been functioning to the detriment of its members, causing unbearable inconvenience, they have the power to right the wrong. Luckily, there are laws that guard you against real and present danger (and even inconvenience) posed to you by incompetent, ruthless or negligent committee members. This post covers the different problems that may arise for members in a housing society and various ways for redressal.
Complaints that can be raised in General Body Meeting:
• Issues related to maintenance of the property
• Not displaying society’s name board
• Not allowing members access to common spaces
• Charging excessive fines, maintenance, other dues
• Failure to insure the property
How to submit a complaint to the Managing Committee?
The member should submit a written complaint explaining the dispute/complaint in full detail to any office-bearer of the society.
In the next committee (after the complaint is received), the Managing Committee reviews the complaint, takes a decision and communicates it to the member within 15 days.
If the members do not receive any communication from the Committee within 15 days, they can approach any competent authorities for redressal of their complaints. A copy of the original complaint letter should also be attached to the escalation complaint.
In cases that are not so cut and dried and require extensive study of legal loopholes and workarounds, members should think about hiring an experienced lawyer (preferably specialising in real estate laws) who can bear the load and present a winning case. As such, housing societies have their own legal advisor/consultant or lawyer who does a good enough job of defending it if trouble befalls. Members who want to present a solid case with all legal intricacies and technicalities covered in a complex situation, should be better off with legal counsel.
Below is a classification of complaints and the competent authority for members to approach.
Administrative and financial mismanagement complaints and disputes that fall under the purview of the Registrar:-
• Non-issuance of share certificates
• Refusal of membership
• Exorbitant premium demand
• Refusal to produce account books and registers for inspection/ tampering or destruction of records
• Incomplete or falsified maintenance records
• Failure to prepare audit reports/ audit rectification reports/ annual reports
• Corruption and misappropriation of funds
• Investing funds without prior approval of members
• Inappropriate/false non-occupancy charges
• Failure to conduct election on time
• Appointing defaulting members on committee
• Rejection of nomination
• Failure to conduct annual, special or general body meetings wilfully
• Failure to file returns, statements or mismanagement of bank records/documents
Disputes pertaining to repair, construction and amenities should be appealed to Co-operative Court/Municipal Corporation or Local Authority:-
• Major and minor repairs, leakages
• Parking issues, disputes with allotment of residence
• Managing Committee resolutions
• Disputes with election of managing committee (except nomination refusal)
• High construction cost, disputes with appointment of architect or redeveloper
• Water supply issues and high maintenance/recovery
If you are facing harassment from the committee members, including but not limited to rude/impolite behavior on a consistent basis, verbal or physical threats or assaults, you must immediately approach the local police station and file an FIR. After receiving a police NC (non-cognizable), you can approach the Civil Court for further redressal.
Complaint against Co-op Housing Society
To file a consumer complaint against a co-operative housing society send your complaint to the registrar of co-op housing society:
Registrar
Co-operative Housing Societies Federation Ltd.
Address of the office where your society is registered
City name
Complaint to Registrar is to be made on the matters of:
1) Registration of society on misrepresentation
2) Non occupancy charges
3) Non supply of copies of record and documents
4) Non maintenance or incomplete maintenance of records and books
5) Misappropriation of funds
6) Investment of funds without prior permission
7) Audit
8) Non conducting of election before expiry of the term of committee
9) Non calling of General Body Meeting
10) Resignation of committee
Complaint in Co-operative court is to be made on the matters of:
1) Repairs, internal repairs, leakages.
2) Parking
3) Escalation of construction cost
4) Unequal water supply
5) Excess recovery of dues from members
Complaint to Police is to be made on the matters of:
1) Nuisance carried out by unauthorized use of flat / shop / parking space / open space by member or builder.
2) Threatening / assault by or to the member of society
3) Creating noise after prescribed deadline hour in the evening
Complaint to General Body is to be made on the matters of:
1) Non maintenance of property by managing committee
2) Levy of excess fine
3) Not allowing authenticated use of the available open space of the society by managing committee
Please Note: If your grievance is not redressed, you can contact the Commissioner of the Co-operative Housing Societies Federation Ltd,. located in your State.
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Ayantika Mondal @ Prime Legal

Responded 3 years ago

A.Hi,

They have no right to charge, anyway you should meet with a lawyer to give a fiting reply.
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