A 62-year-old resident of Metropolis CHS, Four Bungalows, Andheri (West), has alleged that his housing society has failed to comply with orders passed by the deputy registrar directing it to refund or adjust a pending amount of Rs 3.09 lakh in his favour.
Complaint by Resident
In his complaint letter, Ashwin Chaudhary, a cybersecurity professional and owner of flat C-101 in Metropolis CHS, claimed that despite orders issued in March this year, the society has neither refunded the money nor adjusted it against his monthly outgoings, such as maintenance charges, property tax, and utility bills.
Background of the Case
Citing a Bombay High Court order dated June 14, 2017, Chaudhary said the court had directed the society to refund the amounts collected from members by builder HDIL. The society subsequently issued him a credit note for Rs 3.63 lakh in August 2018 and a cheque of Rs 3.09 lakh in January 2019, which was later dishonoured due to a signature mismatch. Following this, the deputy registrar directed the society to adjust the amount against Chaudhary’s pending dues.
Allegations of Non-Compliance
“Despite several reminders and repeated emails since 2021, the society has refused to comply. Instead, they blocked my family’s access to the gym, swimming pool, and other amenities, terming me a defaulter,” Chaudhary alleged. He added that the society was ordered to credit his account and remove the 21% interest and GST that had been wrongly charged.
Society’s Response
When contacted, chairman Kamal Duggar said the society has no money to pay Chaudhary and others. He admitted that the matter dates back to 2017–18, when the accounts were being operated through Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank, which collapsed in 2020.
“Our society lost nearly Rs 15 crore in the PMC Bank crisis, including money belonging to 161 members. Given the situation, the new administration decided to grant a rebate of Rs 1,500 per month on monthly maintenance charges to affected members. Beyond that, we have no means to repay unless the bank releases the funds. We have also asked the authorities for guidance and are willing to abide by their direction,” Duggar said.
