[Xaos636]

@areddy. Man its nothing short of a disaster. I am residing at Mantri Serenity near Kanakpura road and situation is not much different, but not this worse.

I was thinking to jump the gun on Nikoo Homes and your post instantly changed my mind. Thanking you for this and hope you come out of this nightmare with a positive result. Paying the money they ask for and treating us the exact opposite of what was promised is the worst thing to do. Absolutely poor consumer laws and BBMP smoking something that is possibly from some other planet.

Genuine question. Is there a builder we can trust in Bangalore as of now? I hear horror stories for Mantri, Brigade, Puravankara, Sobha etc. I am concerned now.

[Bhargav7]

Originally Posted by Xaos636

Genuine question. Is there a builder we can trust in Bangalore as of now?

Apart from Brigade and Sobha, I wouldn't be comfortable in any other builders. There are fair number of complaints against these two as well, but at least they are better than the others in terms of quality and deliverables.

I heard that Prestige has gone south in terms of quality. Godrej has some crazy delays and lake encroachment issues. Total Environment has an average delay of 10 years for all their projects. Chaithanya operates in very niche and expensive market.

Comparatively, heard some good feedback about DNR and Sumadhura - never saw any of their projects though. Probably someone else can throw some light on that.

[areddy]

Originally Posted by Xaos636

@areddy. Man its nothing short of a disaster. I am residing at Mantri Serenity near Kanakpura road and situation is not much different, but not this worse.

I was thinking to jump the gun on Nikoo Homes and your post instantly changed my mind. Thanking you for this and hope you come out of this nightmare with a positive result. Paying the money they ask for and treating us the exact opposite of what was promised is the worst thing to do. Absolutely poor consumer laws and BBMP smoking something that is possibly from some other planet.

Genuine question. Is there a builder we can trust in Bangalore as of now? I hear horror stories for Mantri, Brigade, Puravankara, Sobha etc. I am concerned now.

Thank you for your comforting words. It’s been an absolute nightmare, and while I partly wanted to vent, I also felt the need to bring this situation to the public’s attention. Getting trapped in something like this has been incredibly frustrating.

Who can we trust? That’s a tough question. BBMP and other authorities are supposed to protect us from situations like this, yet here we are. To answer your specific question, I honestly don’t know who is better. From what I’ve heard from other owners, they’ve had issues with different developers too, but perhaps not to the same extent as this.

[Capri89]

Hello friends,

I need some advice/clarification from knowledgeable members here regarding properties under village panchayat in Karnataka. Yelahanka/North Bangalore to be specific.

If properties (vacant plots) are listed as 11 B with PID issued, are these genuine properties? Can we fearlessly deal in them?

Thanks in advance.

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by Xaos636

Genuine question. Is there a builder we can trust in Bangalore as of now?

Even if the builder is considered reputable, there might be issues with the particular project you are interested in. So,

- Buy only in completed projects.
- live as a tenant for atleast 6 months
- get involved with the management commitee; you will get to know any pending construction or legal issues

Just like multiple test drives before buying a vehicles, test live your home. You will lose out on early bird, pre-launch, launch and whatnot offers but you will have peace of mind.

[xway]

Law in our country is a joke.

I too have been fighting a battle since 14 years to recover my dues from a builder.

A couple of years will go away in court dates and documentation.

Another couple of years to get a judgement, which are poor, dont go by ads like jaago grahak jaago, reality is horrendous. Example if you fight for a 2 crore apartment, maximum penalty will be interest which too at bank rate, and maybe a legal fees of 25,000 whereas you would have spent easily 5-10 lacs over 10 years. Still, dont be happy yet.

The ordeal does not end here, they will appeal to higher court and not pay you a penny. In fact builders are happiest when you go to court as they know that now they dont have to pay you anything for years. This too will last for another 3-4 years.

After all this lets say you get the final order in your favour, then comes the toughest part filing execution appeal. This also lasts years and even if you get warrants issued against the builder for non-payment, these will not be executed. Most of the warrants lie under files and lame excuse are provided that he was away, not found etc.

Irony is real estate parks black money, so politicians are deeply associated with builders and developers. Not to mention the land acquisition, licenses all cannot proceed without deep understanding.

The entire system right from babus, courts, police, politicians are hand in glove.

You may find some lucky person who was able to get back something through connections. Other some few cases are resolved just to show that law is alive and system is not dead.

I am speaking from first hand taste of all this, and can for sure say that its a mockery of justice, and the system is rotten to the core.

[ShreyG]

Originally Posted by areddy

BBMP and other authorities are supposed to protect us from situations like this, yet here we are.

Really sad to hear your ordeal. Brand value is probably of the few sureties when it comes to home buying in BLR. Seems that has gone for a toss as well.
As for BBMP, it is an open secret as to what it takes to get any sort of approval from them. You can receive an OC on an open foundation dump with the right motivations.
If you read the news during the floods in 2022 and the encroachment drives that followed, you would realize that the BBMP stamp of approval means absolutely nothing

[DriverLess]

I've been staying in Bangalore for more than 20 years. Only one thing has changed, bribes amount has increased. Once someone pays bribe they don't care about following any rules. I myself have been going to court regarding my house for last 2 years. Judge does not even hear or utter a single word from us and gives us a new hearing date. Expectation is we settle (aka take paltry compensation and pay bribes) for no fault of ours.

A certificate, NOC, permit etc from BDA, BBMP, BESCOM, BWSSB, CMCs(suburbs), BMRDA(suburbs), District Collector or any Bangalore Registrar office has no meaning. Anything can be acquired by greasing the right people. RERA is joke, it is run by builder lobby. Bankers know this very well, they are just happy approving multi-crore loans based on your income (not based on credentials of the property).

In fact, a builder once told me that he has pay heavy bribe even if he follows all the rules. He is at competitive disadvantage if he does flout and construct additional area, illegal floors, use substandard material etc.

If you want piece of mind in Bangalore, just stay rented.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by Bhargav7

Apart from Brigade and Sobha, I wouldn't be comfortable in any other builders.

Kind of agree with this and have first hand experience with Brigade Group - customer experience is not that great but they do complete the project on time and hand over. Post that I guess any of the projects with huge number of units in thousands will have several issues that would need to be ironed out over time.

Originally Posted by Xaos636

@areddy. Man its nothing short of a disaster. I am residing at Mantri Serenity near Kanakapura road and situation is not much different, but not this worse.

I thought the issues are all sorted now ? I am aware that the project was delayed by 6 years etc. but are there still issues? Was recommending to a relative and hence the question.

[Sebring]

I have a great experience with Sobha, the property is well maintained. Prestige, I dont like their interior designs, the high window sills (Falcon City), and Brigade - I haven't checked. Of late I have noticed the Glen and Puravankara interior layouts are good. This is of course, Bengaluru.

[Chisels121]

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

Even if the builder is considered reputable, there might be issues with the particular project you are interested in. So,

- Buy only in completed projects.
- live as a tenant for atleast 6 months
- get involved with the management commitee; you will get to know any pending construction or legal issues

Just like multiple test drives before buying a vehicles, test live your home. You will lose out on early bird, pre-launch, launch and whatnot offers but you will have peace of mind.

Easier said than done, as Bangalore flats get at least 25% more expensive just after handover. If by chance the flat turns out okay the guilt would be insufferable everytime you'll pay the EMI. So better solution will be to befriend someone who is a tenant there and ask their experience about the amenities.

[Chisels121]

Originally Posted by areddy

Thank you for your comforting words. It’s been an absolute nightmare, and while I partly wanted to vent, I also felt the need to bring this situation to the public’s attention. Getting trapped in something like this has been incredibly frustrating.

Who can we trust? That’s a tough question. BBMP and other authorities are supposed to protect us from situations like this, yet here we are. To answer your specific question, I honestly don’t know who is better. From what I’ve heard from other owners, they’ve had issues with different developers too, but perhaps not to the same extent as this.

IAS officers are the biggest bunch of nincompoops(bar a few)I have ever come across. It's clear the BBMP is full support of the Builder and from what I think the case is going to be
LONG. Your best bet is to sell the flat as the building is fundamentally weak which can't be corrected as it's just too late now.
Wishing you good luck,
Chisels

P.S: THE KEY TO BUY A GOOD PROPERTY IS TO CONFIRM THAT A GOI OFFICER HAS BOUGHT A FLAT THERE.

[Way2Jimny]

Originally Posted by Capri89

If properties (vacant plots) are listed as 11 B with PID issued, are these genuine properties? Can we fearlessly deal in them?

11B is B-Khata which means it doesn't have necessary approvals. You can't get loan from nationalised banks for such properties. They are generally cheaper too. Yes they are genuine and no one will stop you from building a house in it or getting bescom and other utility connections.

[charanreddy]

Bangalore’s property market is a hit or miss depending on one’s luck. I know many small builder apartments that were quickly constructed and delivered, while there are many so called prestigious builder that charge massive premiums where construction quality and delivery is iffy. One of my colleagues bought an apartment in GM infinite - Electronic City and they are running pillar to post to get delivery. The Builder has taken up most of the amount due, has not paid his suppliers and there are court cases going on. The nexus between Builders, politicians, police, civic agencies like BBMP, BESCOM, Sub registrars is undeniable. There is hardly any one to listen to the cheated customer , let alone stand up. Courts could be a hope, but cases take a batter part or 10 years till the appeals are exhausted.

More true in real estate than any other transaction - Buyer Beware and be real tight about your purse strings - this is the ONLY leverage we have. Once the amount is paid, we are at the mercy of various nefarious people.

One thing I would recommend : Find a plot of land, slightly away from the city ( Sarjapura, Hosur Road, Devanahalli ) and invest time and effort to construct a house. Despite the hassle, this is likely to cause less heart burn. If you are able to find a few like minded people , even better to construct a small apartment to your specifications to lower costs.

Buying real estate remains a tricky territory in Bangalore where there is a very likelihood of getting cheated.

[swiftnfurious]

I believe real-estate stories are horrible in most places. Only the level of nightmare varies. And the modus operandi is the same - once it's sold, the builders expect the owners to take whatever is thrown at them.

And if not, bring in goondas to contain any resistance. I was in Bangalore about 15 years back and heard horror stories and nothing has changed a bit. I always am surprised how do people fall for this trap on an on-going basis. And then there's the infamous rat race to get anything and everything even before it's launched - vehicles or school admission or properties. Unless people slow down and do the ground work, the situation will never change.

I know Lokayukta was very very strong in Bangalore - no way to get this to their attention? Only once a few top shots are sent to jail, there'll be some fear I guess.