The Federal Supreme Court has remanded the case between May Real Estate Plc and 24 homebuyers back to the Federal High Court. This comes three years after another court battle between the real estate company and the homebuyers that was closed by the Council of Constitutional Inquiry after a ruling in favour of the latter.

The current pending case was set in motion in 2016 after the real estate developer took the homebuyers to the Federal High Court for breaches against the contract signed between the two parties in 2006, as well as for costs to May following the final ruling at the Council.

In its claim, the Real Estate firm asserted that the homebuyers did not finalise payments they agreed to make in the contracts they signed; did not pay for their share of the cost incurred by the developer for the facilities used by all homebuyers in the apartment buildings; and failed to pay value-added tax (VAT) payments and mortgage payments.

According to the homebuyers’ defense, while they have made two phases of payments, according to their contractual agreement, they are not entitled to pay the next two phases, because the developer did not finalise construction of the houses.

They also stated that the company did not install a number of home appliances according to their agreement and that VAT payments and a share of the cost of the facilities for the entire apartment buildings was not a part of their contract. As for mortgage payments, the homebuyers claimed that they did not agree for the bank to take out loans in their name.

After examining the case, the lower court ruled on June 11, 2018, that the homebuyers should pay the third round payments. However, the company cannot claim the fourth round payment unless it finishes the construction of the houses and has transferred them to the owners. It was also ruled that the homebuyers should pay the interest rate of over nine million Br on their homes to the real estate company.