The state development authority in Chennai has delayed handing over my allotted plot for years, what is my legal recourse?

Detailed Legal Analysis

Development authorities are constituted under Tamil Nadu Rent Control Act 1960 and are bound to deliver possession within the time mentioned in the allotment letter. The Madras High Court has held that an allottee can seek refund with interest or specific performance for delay beyond the grace period.

You must serve a legal demand notice on the authority before approaching the consumer forum or the Madras High Court. The authority cannot levy escalation charges unilaterally for its own delay.

If the plot is not developed, the allotment can be cancelled and the deposit refunded with penal interest. A writ petition is maintainable since the authority is a state instrumentality.

The court may direct compensation for mental harassment and financial loss caused by the delay.