Homeowners hit developer over woes

Every homeowner’s dream is to live in a community that is fully functional — with electricity and water, an environment that is safe and secure, and with enjoyable features the developer promised beforehand.

Unrealized dream

But for the homeowners of Marymount County Homes at Sun Valley Drive, Bicutan, Parañaque City, this dream has yet to be realized, even after living in the subdivision for 13 years now.

“We were employees of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart Communications and through the PLDT’s Employees Housing Assistance Program, developer Lordship International Trading Realty Corp. (LITRC) offered us an enticing pitch in 2002: competitive price package; no down payment/equity; a reservation fee of just P5,000; payment through salary deduction; flexible loan payments ranging from five to 25 years; processing fees and expenses already waived,” said Avelino Acedo, one of the pioneers of the subdivision.

What LITRC presented to the homebuyers in 2005 was half-a-hectare community to be composed of 15 to 25 townhouse type units, two to three stories high.

Unfinished

“The entryway — the only gate in and out of the subdivision — was not finished and is, in fact, already falling apart; there was no clubhouse or children’s playground, both of which were promised to us when LITRC was still wooing us; and worse, whenever we needed house repairs or any sort of construction jobs, we were not allowed to do this on our own as the developer gave us no option but to give them a so-called construction bond as LITRC only allow their workers to do the repairs,” Acedo said.

In return, they were issued nonofficial receipts.

But the most disturbing development happened in late 2016 when LITRC, in a joint venture with another developer, Acasyskbar, started the construction of a six-story condominium building on six vacant lots in the middle of Marymount County Homes.

Not in original plan

“This condominium was never in the original plan when Marymount County Homes was presented to us in 2002. Furthermore, we were not even informed in advance of the impending construction considering that we will all be affected by the excavation, the noise, the dirt and dust, and the traffic inconvenience that the transport of construction materials will cause,” homeowner Julie Anne Selibio said.

She said when the homeowners called LITRC’s attention, the developer presented several documents, including an Immediate Neighbors’ Clearance for City Hall and another for the barangay that bore signatures of people who did not represent the homeowners.

LITRC did not issue any comment.

“All we want is for the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board to exercise its regulatory function,” Selibio said.