I am a tenant in Ahmedabad. Our co-op. society is asking every flat for extra maintenance charges of Rs. 10000 this year. This is an additional maintenance charges over regular maintenance charges which is Rs 6900.
We have already paid regular maintenance charges in advance but they are asking now additional Rs 10000 for extra renovation and other repairing work of the society.
Moreover they are asking for Rs. 100 penalty for every month for additional maintenance charges. If we don’t pay the penalty, they say they will cut our water connection.
Please advise if SOCIETY HAS RIGHTS to cut water connection.
Can you provide any supporting legal evidence?
I C Naik
You said you are a tenant. How are you concerned with maintenance? In any case if your querry is as a member then you buy copy of bye-laws of your society. In that you will find rules of fixing maintenance charges by Committee. That rule must be followed by Committee. Disconnecting basic utility service is not prohibited but Committee must not do something for which has no power under bye-laws.
If they make breach of bye laws you can complain to the Registrar who has power to disqualify the Committee members to continue in management.
Remember that the Committee is doing everything for its members (owners of the Society ) and you are one of them. It is necessary that all demands are paid on time right or wrong. You can give payment with a protest letter asking for return of any amount a member feels is not correctly demanded as per bye-laws. If not returned within a reasonable time say 3-6 months you can file a complaint tn cooperative court for excess collection.