Defective house, inferior materials: Consumer panel orders builder to pay Rs 25 lakh
A builder must pay Rs 25 lakh for constructing a house with serious defects. The consumer commission found inferior materials and substandard workmanship in the property. Visakh K. alleged numerous issues after taking possession of his home. The builder failed to appear before the commission and was proceeded against ex parte. The commission awarded Rs 20 lakh for repairs and Rs 5 lakh for mental…
The Kollam district consumer commission ordered a Thiruvananthapuram builder to pay Rs 25 lakh to a man after discovering serious defects in a residential house he had commissioned. The commission awarded Rs 20 lakh for repair costs and damages on August 10, 2026. In January 2022, Visakh K. entered an agreement with Luxury Builders, managed by Jayadevan M.V., to build a house in Kalliyoor, Thiruvananthapuram for Rs 32 lakh within six months.
However, the construction was only completed on January 20, 2024, and Visakh paid Rs 42,63,450, exceeding the agreement's amount. Upon moving in, he found numerous issues, including leaking plumbing, peeling paint, cracks in walls and ceilings, uneven flooring, damaged kitchen cupboards, and problems with electrical work. Despite multiple requests for repairs, no action was taken.
The commission appointed experts who found substandard materials, defective plumbing, dampness, cracks in walls, improper waterproofing, and inadequate slope in balcony tiling. They concluded that the construction was defective and that the builder was responsible for the observed issues. The commission ordered the builder to pay Rs 20 lakh for repairs, 9% annual interest on the amount, Rs 5 lakh for mental anguish, and Rs 25,000 for litigation costs. The builder had 45 days to comply, or face further legal action.
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