According to news, the developers of private housing societies in Lahore are exploiting people under legal cover. Developers are swindling buyers by taking an undue advantage of the insufficient laws and complicated agreements. It has been reported that the developers of housing societies across the metropolitan have taken NOC from the LDA by misleading it. An LDA official said these societies showed a plan of 1000 plots but in fact have offered bookings for around 2000 plots.
He further added that notices have been served to various such developers because they were receiving a large number of complaints against them. These developers have claimed that they would refund the money of the customers, who could not secure plots. However, this does not seem to be true, since people are neither getting refunds nor plots.
The developers of private societies are also deceiving buyers by not disclosing the true ownership status of the land. Customers make bookings, put the cash down, and make regular installment but later on they come to know that housing society is not in 100% ownership of the developer. A property consultant, M. Rasheed has said that some developers in the past have only sold files of the plots without even having any land to sell. This trend is still going on and LDA is not taking serious actions against such developers.
LDA official has responded by serving notices. According to an official, LDA can only serve notices and not take any serious action against such developers due to the lack of the powers. M. Rasheed has further highlighted that the developers make lengthy and complicated contracts with various technical points and easily trap people. He said that some developers provide lands to customers but development work does not start as per their promise.
There are many societies, for which plots were sold 15 years ago but they still have not developed. LDA has taken a few steps against such societies and four societies have been taken over. Moreover, LDA has also planned to take the possession of mortgage plots in 21 hosing schemes and develop them with the funds they would receive on their auction. LDA has also invited objections from developers of such schemes within the stipulated period of 15 days.
