Pune
The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has in a recent order held that industrial units or buildings part of such units would not come under the purview of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.
RERA adjudicating officer BD Kapadnis observed in an order that complaints related to industrial units could not be covered under the real estate statute.
The officer passed the order while hearing a case related to a complainant who had booked two units in an industrial facility, but failed to get their possession on agreed date of May 31, 2015. The complainant wanted to withdraw from the project and claimed refund of the amount with interests and compensation.
The RERA authorities said the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act (Mofa), 1963, was applicable to the units and not the real estate law.
“It is clearly mentioned in the documents that the units are described as ‘estate units’ and they are of ‘big size’. It is mentioned in the documents that the units are agreed to be purchased for setting up industrial business of manufacturing and permitted under industrial location policy,” the RERA adjudicating office observed after going through the relevant documents related to the case.
“After looking into these legal aspects of the matter, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that Mofa is applicable to the premises used for carrying on any industry whereas the definition of the apartment does not include the industrial purpose. There remains no doubt in my mind that the industrial units are not included in the definition of apartment in RERA,” the officer added.