Tenants in Dubai community set to feel lockout?

Published Tuesday, July 30, 2013

With notices being served for over a year now to pay their outstanding service charges, many apartment owners in Discovery Gardens still continue to default.

Nakheel, the master developer, has now issued the final reminder, which now puts tenants in jeopardy of being locked out of their homes.

The notices are being home delivered with the list of apartment numbers and their dues being pasted in the lobbies of the buildings. Some of the apartments have dues of over Dh50,000.

In a notice, issued on July 18, Nakheel said: “As per our records, we have not yet received the payment inclusive of current year dues towards service charges for financial year 2012/2013 (until the period of June 30, 2013) of the subject mentioned property.

“In relation to above, you are requested to pay the arrears within three working days from receipt of this notice to avoid disruption of service to your apartment, and/or further legal action and inconvenience in accessing the building once the main door access control system is activated.”

The notice further states: “Nakheel assumes no responsibility for the inconvenience that may be caused to the tenant due to disruption of services as result of nonpayment.

“Please consider this as a final reminder to settle all outstanding charge.”

The access systems have been place for some months now and residents expect the systems to be activated after Ramadan.

The outstanding amount varies building by building as each building has a different rate of service charges, Nakheel has said. Each building has a different cost of operation so the utility and service provider’s charges differ building by building.

Suresh Kalingi, who has leased an apartment in the Mediterranean cluster, says: “We have asked our landlord to pay his dues so we can go and get the access cards. But he hasn’t paid as his name is on the list.”

He fears: “We hear that the system will be activated post-Ramadan… if by then he [landlord] hasn’t paid I will be left homeless. I am sending him frequent emails to pay, but he doesn’t reply.”

Discovery Gardens consists of six themed communities inspired by garden living, and includes Zen, Mediterranean, Contemporary, Mogul, Mesoamerican and Cactus courtyard gardens. The development spans over 26 million square foot plot and has 291 buildings.