Sale of condo units sans permit in Makati opposed

Sale of condo units sans permit in Makati opposed

Written by Tribune Thursday, 20 June 2013 08:00

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/business/item/15617-sale-of-condo-units-sans-permit-in-makati-opposed

Picar Development Inc. questioned the sale by Century Properties Inc. of condominium units in Makati even prior to getting approval from the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB)in clear violation of the law.
The property company said it found questionable Century’s sale of units in Gramercy Residences at a time its amended license to sell (ALTS) was still pending with the government regulatory body.
“That is a violation of HLURB rules — offering for sale or selling units without the license to sell which in this case is the amendment of the license,” Picar, the real estate arm of the Ama Group, said in a statement.
Century was quoted in a news article as saying that the HLURB granted it on May 31 an amended license to sell, which covers the units on the top five floors of its luxury condominium project along Kalayaan Ave. in Makati.
The amended license was filed on July 25, 2012.
Picar, however, questioned how Century was able to sell units in the five floors prior to May 31.
“If some of the units were sold prior to the issuance of the ALTS, are these not violations of the HLURB rules that merit fines?,” Picar said.
In a press statement last March, Century said it had sold 1,432 units in Gramercy before December 2012.
Under its original license to sell issued in April 2008, Century is allowed to offer for sale only 1,275 residential and commercial units in the building.
Picar said it is only the HLURB that can shed light on the matter of whether the 157 units sold by Century in excess of the 1,275 units covered by its original license, were sold before the issuance of an amended permit.
The company also asked the government body to address the issue of violations.
“Did HLURB issue a Notice of Violation to CPI for its Gramercy project with regard to the selling without (amended) License to Sell? Will the issuance of the ALTS moot the violations committed by Century?” it said.
The sale of additional units without approval is just one of the issues being raised against Century.
The other is its building of five additional floors on Gramercy without proper approval.
“We have all the documents to prove Century Properties Inc. added five additional floors on its Gramercy condominium project without the required building permit,” said Picar in a statement.