Legal Position On The Delay In The Date Of Handover of the العقارات وحدة

I bought a real estate unit in Dubai under construction, and the contract provided that in case of a delay in the date of the handover, the seller shall pay 5000 AED a month as a delay fine. The decided date of handover was in 2014. I was notified in 2020 that the unit is completed, and I am required to pay the last installment that was agreed upon at the completion date.

لقد قمت بإبلاغ المطور بخصم قيمة الغرامة من الرصيد. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، وبسبب التأخير في تسليم الوحدة، قمت بتأجير وحدة أخرى كمسكن لي.

ما هي الحقوق التي سأطالب بها؟

You shall file a case before the competent court against the seller, claiming they pay a delay fine as agreed upon in addition to compensation for the rental value of the other unit.

وفيما يلي التفاصيل:

أولاً: بالنسبة للتأخير فإن الغرامة المتفق عليها هي:

It is clear that as per the purchase and sale agreement, the balance of the unit price shall be paid at the time of completion. This means that you implemented all your contractual obligations towards the developer without any violation or deficiency.

It is also established that the date of completion is at the end of 2014, which means 6 years. Whereas the developer, for this long time, did not deliver the unit till now, he also violated the expected date of completion.

Article 246 of the civil transactions law stipulates as follows: in case of a delay in the date of the real estate unit handover, what is the legal situation ?:

1. The contract shall be implemented according to the provisions contained therein and in a manner consistent with the requirements of good faith.

2- ولا يقتصر العقد على ما ورد فيه بل يمتد إلى أركانه وفقاً للقانون والعرف وطبيعة المعاملة.

It is clear that good faith is not found totally in the developer’s transaction because six years passed from the contract date without completing the unit or delivering it as per the regular commercial customers in the real estate units field

It is not reasonable to take six years without delivering or completing a real estate unit. This means that the developer violated their obligations in building and completion, which leads to the nonfulfillment of their obligations.  

من الواضح أنك اتفقت مع المطور على أن يدفع المطور 5000 درهم شهرياً كغرامة إذا خالف موعد الإنجاز التعاقدي في نهاية عام 2014. ولم يقم المطور بتسليم الوحدة العقارية حتى الآن رغم أنك دفعت كل شيء التزاماتك والمبالغ المالية. 

ثانياً: فيما يتعلق بالمطالبة بالقيمة الإيجارية

The agreement upon the contract completion date was 2014. Whereas the developer did not deliver the unit until now, this means they did not fulfill their contractual obligations in time as approved, which forced you to rent another unit for 6 years. If the developer fulfilled their contractual obligations, you would not rent the other unit. Therefore, you have the right to claim the developer compensation for your loss of the rental amounts lost due to the developer’s violation of contractual obligations.

حسب أحكام محكمة النقض:

“Article 292 of the civil transactions law stipulates as follows:

ويقدر التعويض، في جميع الأحوال، لتغطية الضرر الواقع والربح الضائع بشرط أن يكون ذلك أ

النتيجة الطبيعية للفعل الضار. ويجب أن يحدث هذا الضرر في النهاية لأن الأضرار التي لا تحدث في النهاية أو التي يتوقع حدوثها فقط لا يتم تعويضها إلا بعد حدوثها في النهاية. ولا يمنع القانون تقدير الربح المفقود إذا كانت هناك أسباب معقولة أو كان احتمال تحقيق هذا الربح ممكنا ويجب التعويض عنه. 

(Dubai Cassation Court—Challenge No. 81/2009—Civil Circuit—Session 7/6/2009)

Whereas the developer failed to complete the unit and deliver it in time, the prejudice against you makes you lose the benefit from the subject unit and rent another one. 

Therefore, you shall go to the Land Department to inquire about the rental value of this unit from 2014 in case it was delivered to you on such a date up till now. You shall claim in your case to impose upon the developer to pay this value as compensation for the lost annual

الإيجار من تاريخ إتمام العقد حتى الآن. 

Article 282 of the civil transactions law stipulates as follows:

ويلتزم فاعل الضرر ولو غير مميز بإصلاح الضرر.

Article 292 of the civil transactions law stipulates as follows:

Damages shall, under all circumstances, be assessed to cover the prejudice sustained and the lost profit, provided it is a natural consequence of the prejudicial act

Facing delays in the handover of your real estate unit?
Our real estate legal team provides clear, practical guidance to help you protect your rights, understand your contractual options, and pursue compensation or remedies where applicable.
Contact us for confidential legal support via Call/WhatsApp at +971547104042 or email info@amalkhamis.com.