ad hoc society problem

2 years ago

Hello,

I would like to know power and responsibilities an ad hoc committee has in residential apartments in Goa.

Unfortunately, most members in our wing (consists of 40 members) do not live here (are mostly abroad) and have tenants living. There is a group 6 to 7 people, who during every meeting try to decide everything with regards to society decisions and mostly the ones who become members comply. There are hardly people attending the meeting, so it is usually this group that becomes a majority even if there is difference of opinion. The rest who attend usually do not open their mouths and often also do not question their acts as most people seem busy here.

There are various issues; firstly, they use society money for unnecessary expenses. In 2020, when most middle-class people had a hit in their incomes, these people decided to double the society charge from 500 to 1000 saying that the electricity cost for the society has gone high and also the building needs repairs, otherwise it will collapse (building is around 17 years old). They do put up the expenses incurred once a year (no one really checks the invoices of these expenses). Also there is no bank account, society charges are paid in case with a receipt.

Secondly, there is a person who was a member in 2020, who was a bit argumentative and rude in nature including his wife (part of these 6-7 dictators). He once had an argument with my mother about the garbage disposal and has been rudely communicating things to my mother since then. I went later to his house to address this attitude but his wife lied to me he is not available at home (though I know he was at home) and started her own arguments with me. He made strict rules that no one should park their bikes in the passage at the parking lot or the enterance to the society. I once happened to park the bike in the passage because a new tenant had parked his bike at my place of parking and this was for just one day. He dragged my bike to the side with a note that I cannot park there but I continued to see people park their bikes there and nobody questioned them. Fast forward to 2022, we did not pay the society charge ever since they doubled the charge, so this man came to our doorstep with his gang saying they will disconnect our water if we did not pay up. Unfortunately, since most members had paid the charge, we cleared our dues. Also, this person continues to drag my bike if he sees it at the entrance or the passage though he is no longer a member and I see everybody else parking their vehicles in the same place but he is doing this only to us. At times, I feel he is doing this to us because there is no male figure in our house.

All this while, I chose to be quite because I am a single working woman in my 30s (also a cancer survivor) with a dependent (mother) and do not want to take up unnecessary hassles that would stress me out but this persons behaviour and dictatorship of these people is really disturbing me because I know in my heart what they are doing is not right. The others are keeping quite because they either do not have time or simply do not want to. Can you please shed some light on the legal aspects of this case and what I can do to bring a change for betterment (especially the financial aspects) and also address the parlimentarian attitude of this person towards us. It would be also nice if you shed some light on the adverse short/long-effects this may have on me in any way in case I choose to act. Thank you and God bless.