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Access cards, CCTV for Discovery Gardens

By Parag Deulgaonkar Nakheel evaluating options for service charge defaulters after Jan 25 deadline
Residents in Discovery Gardens can breathe easy for now as Nakheel , the master developer of the community, is still pondering what action it will take against apartment owners who have defaulted on service charges.

"We continue to pursue our rights - and we are evaluating all our options," a Nakheel spokesperson told Emirates 24/7 in an emailed statement.

The deadline set by the company for apartment owners to pay their outstanding service charges expired on January 25. It is not known how many owners have paid their dues.

On Sunday, the company issued a tender seeking supply, installation, programming and maintenance of card reading access control system and CCTV system at Discovery Gardens.

Company Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah had told Emirates 24/7 that the company was planning to issue access cards and install cameras to make the community safe and secure for residents.

DM, a Bulgarian national, who owns to two properties in the master community, said: "With the service charges added to the mortgage charges, the total 'bleeding' become significant. The rental rates are very low on one side, on the other the mortgage rates are very high."

Paul J, an Indian, who owns a one-bed apartment, said: "The service charges are too exorbitant. I never get any email from them about the annual general meeting for the IOA. I got an email from them in December last year with an invoice for service charges for 2010-2011."

This website reported on December 25, 2011, that Nakheel had decided to name-and-shame service charge defaulters in the community in an apparent bid to make owners cough up the outstanding fees.

The developer had posted a list with names of apartment owners and their outstanding amount as of December 20, 2011, in the lobby of Discovery Gardens buildings, along with a notice which says there could be a possibility of apartment owners' access to their buildings being restricted.

According to the notice, the developer said that apartment owners have until January 25, 2012, to clear their dues.

The notice, dated December 22, 2011, said: "Please note that Discovery Gardens LLC requested all the unit owners to make the payment towards service charges related 2010/2011, for your information the service charge is duly approved by Rera and due for payment as on 17th November 2011. It was noticed that several apartment owners have not yet cleared their dues. The list of apartments which has not cleared the dues is attached herewith."

It added: "Kindly note that service charges should be cleared/paid on or before 25th January 2012, failing which will take legal action against the defaulters which may even result in restricting the access to the building."

In June 2011, a Nakheel spokesperson had told this website that the company will not be able to pay utility and service providers if there are no funds in building accounts of Discovery Gardens, which may result in service disruption.

"As the letter is self-explanatory that to continue the services and pay the utility provider, we need sufficient fund to keep the building up and running. If there is no fund in the building account we will not be able to pay the utility charges and service provider which may result in disruption. Service disruption will depend on the service providers," the spokesperson had said.

© Emirates 24|7 2012