Pemaju diarah bayar RM10.5 juta kepada pemilik kondominium mewah

Mahkamah Tinggi Johor Bahru has ordered Chinese construction company R&F Development Sdn Bhd to pay around RM10.57 million in compensation to 84 owners of luxurious condominiums in Princess Cove due to delays in handing over their homes. The court's judge, Wong Mee Ling, approved the claims after ruling that the sale agreement (SPA) between the developers and the homeowners was invalid.

The judge stated that the division of the project from a single phase to two phases violated the terms of the agreement and rejected the developers' claim that the delay was justified due to the need to reschedule the construction plans.

Homeowners were given compensation ranging from RM35,000 to RM196,000 for the delay in handing over their units, and an additional amount ranging from RM6,900 to RM39,000 for the delay in preparing common facilities. However, the court dismissed the claims of the remaining 39 plaintiffs who had signed the SPA after the construction plans were rescheduled.

The judge ordered them to pay RM10,000 each to the developers. Additionally, the judge instructed the payment of the RM10,000 set-up costs for the 84 homeowners who had already been paid before the scheduled date of November 2018, as per the SPA.

The judge also rejected the plaintiffs' demand for exemplary and special damages, stating that there was no evidence of any loss suffered by them. The homeowners had previously won a judgment against the developers in 2021, but the case continued to court for 10 days and ended in September 2024 after the Court of Appeal allowed the developers' appeal. The homeowners were represented by NG Vinod and Rashmeet Kaur, while Josiah Tea Yoong Kit and V Mavin Rajah acted for the defendants.