NCLT gives ATS Gurgaon jolt

Gurgaon: The National Company Law Tribunal appointed Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) to look into the matter of several buyers of ATS Tourmaline in Sector 109, Gurgaon.

The buyers bought apartmentsunder guaranteed buyback offer extended by ATS but the developer rejected to honor the offer forcing the buyers to move the tribunal for initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process. The tribunal has asked the appointed IRP to look into matter. Seven out of 50 buyers, who failed to get their apartments bought back under the scheme, moved the tribunal. IRP has now been appointed in all the twelve cases.

Buyers bought an apartment in the project by the ATS,a leading developer of North India promoted by Geetambar Anand, Chairman & Managing Director, ATS Infrastructure Ltd & Chairman - CredaiNational ). The buyers paid advance money and signedan MOU for the scheme in March 2014. Under this MOU it was written that if the buyer wants to exercise his option of getting his flat bought back by the company at a pre-set value within 33 months from the date of booking and that the company has compulsorily buyback within 30 days from the date the buyer has showed intent to exercise his right to buyback.

There were clauses where developer has to pay interest to the buyer if said buyback is delayed. In October 2016 various buyers showed their intention to the company to offer the flat in buyback to ATS but the developer kept on delaying the process forcing buyers to move to the tribunal.

During the trial, ATS counsel tried to play on the fact that buyers had got a home loan from a bank making the bank a buyer and thus buyers have no right to exercise the buyback.

All these contentions of the developer were put aside by the Tribunal. After a long battle, buyers have been able to convince the court to appoint IRP to solve the issue. "It is a big victory for the buyers, who are being cheated by the developer on the pretext of lucrative offers.

Shocking is the fact that the promoter is part of CREDAI, which claims to ensure fair practices in real estate. I am assured now that the law is supreme and it takes care of the buyers' interest.

The increasing number of cases against the defaulting developers is an example that the country is moving towards an era where developers have to face the educated buyers," a buyer said.

The IRP has now invited claims from all the stake holders of the company to file their claims and will then legally exercise the buyback

commitments.