HC: No registration to society without hearing developer

Court quashes cooperation minister's order restoring Dombivli society

- Urvi Mahajani

The Bombay High Court, on Thursday, held that a Registrar cannot grant registration to a housing society without first hearing the promoter or developer.

With this, the court quashed the state minister of cooperation’s order that had restored the registration of a housing society.

Justice Milind Jadhav said the registration, granted in July 2020 during the Covid pandemic, to Paramount Park ‘D’ Wing Tenant Cooperative Housing Society in Dombivli, was “fraudulent, without jurisdiction, and void ab initio (void from the beginning)”. He criticised both the registering authority and the minister for acting in violation of law and natural justice.