Not builder, but residents to pay for Campa Cola demolition

If you are planning to buy a house, make sure your building is legitimate by obtaining the 'legality certificates' or your fate my end up as the unfortunate residents of Campa Cola building in Worli.

A report in today's Times of India says that residents of Campa Cola that are staying in the illegally constructed floors will have to cough up Rs 1.9 crore- the estimated cost of demolition.

Not only will they lose their homes, but one wonders how they will garner this amount as they don't even have enough funds for the legal battle.

[caption id="attachment_1017163" align="alignleft" width="380"] Residents of Campa Cola Society in Mumbai[/caption]

In February, the Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of the illegal floors of buildings in the Campa Cola compound.

These buildings included Midtown, Esha Ekta Apartments, Shubh Apartments, Patel Apartments, B Y Apartments and Orchid.

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While the builders were given permission to construct only ground-plus-five floors, Midtown ended up having 20 floors, Orchid 17, Esha Ekta and Shubh eight, BY seven, and two wings of Patel six floors each.

That the developer had not obtained the required permissions came to light only in 2005, after the occupants had been living at the compound for two decades.

In May, the 140 families residing on the 35 illegal floors again moved the Supreme Court claiming that they had no idea their floors were constructed illegally.

However, the SC upheld its order but granted them six months reprieve to vacate flats.

Though, the residents had earlier expressed their intend to move a review petition in the Supreme Court, the Bombay High Court had in July said that the residents cannot regularise an illegal structure by buying additional FSI.

You can read the entire TOI report here.