Realty developers, agent told to pay Dh1.77m to couple

Dubai: Two property developers and a real estate promoter have been ordered to repay Dh1.77 million paid in by a couple for a 26th-floor-flat overlooking Dubai's Business Bay.

The Dubai Real Estate Court ordered the Dubai-based promoter and property developers to repay the couple, a businessman and his wife, Dh1.77 million which they had deposited as a first instalment for the flat in a high-rise tower project.

Lawyer Dr Habib Al Mulla, of Habib Al Mulla and Co Advocates and Legal Consultants, who represents the couple, lodged the civil lawsuit against the defendants after they refused to collect the remaining instalments and write a contract then deliver the flat.

Presiding Judge Shehab Ahmad Al Shehi also ordered the defendants to pay the above-mentioned amount plus nine per cent legal interest.

Dr Al Mulla argued in his lawsuit that his clients purchased the flat for Dh17.7 million, out of the first payment was made to the promoter. "They collected a receipt for the first instalment. When the second instalment was due, the promoter asked my clients to pay it for the sake of one of the property developers based in Dubai."

Dr Al Mulla said since the deal was made, it was his clients' first encounter with the Dubai-based property developer.

"The claimants asked the promoter why should they pay the second payment to the Dubai-based developer before, they later agreed to pay & surprisingly, the promoter informed my clients that they stopped receiving payments for that project," he continued.

He said his clients were asked to follow up with the Dubai-based developer and a Kuwait-based developer.

The Dubai-based developer met with the claimants and informed them that there were no problems and they would be collecting their contract within a week, according to the lawsuit.

"Since then, the plaintiffs had been avoiding the claimants, refused to collect any instalments and didn't process the contract. Since my clients didn't get the flat, the price of which tripled after sometime, they lodged this lawsuit and claimed Dh1.77 million plus Dh500,000 in financial and moral compensation for the damages they incurred by the plaintiffs' act," argued Dr Al Mulla.

Presiding Judge Al Shehi further ordered the plaintiffs to pay Dh3,000 in lawyers' fees. The primary verdict is still subject to appeal.