Mohali, April 6 -- A Mohali homebuyer who paid Rs.13.2 lakh for an independent floor that never materialised has secured relief from the district consumer disputes redressal commission, Mohali, which has ordered two builder firms to jointly refund the entire amount with interest. The commission held the builders guilty of misleading the buyer, hiding crucial facts about ownership, and failing to provide mandatory documents, calling their conduct a clear case of unfair trade practice and deficiency in service. The complainant, Kulbir Kaur, had booked an independent floor in Global City, Sector 124, Mohali, through True Mark Homes by executing an agreement to sell on July 3, 2019. As per the construction-linked plan, she paid Rs.13.2 lakh out of the total cost of Rs.29.5 lakh. The sale deed was scheduled for March 2020, but the builder failed to complete construction or provide essential approvals such as title documents, approved building plans, and completion or occupancy certificates. Despite repeated emails and letters, Kaur was never given the mandatory documents. Instead, she received incomplete and irrelevant papers, including a sale deed of land in someone else's name, raising doubts about the legality of the project. With no progress at the site, she sought a refund in January 2020 and later issued a legal notice, which went unanswered. The commission noted that during earlier proceedings before Punjab RERA, the complainant discovered that True Mark Homes was not the actual owner but only an authorised seller of Delmar Developers. This fact, suppressed at the time of signing the agreement, amounted to clear misrepresentation. The bench further observed that the unit was illegally sold to a third party in March 2021 without cancelling Kaur's allotment, an act it termed "malafide." Holding both firms jointly and severally liable, the commission directed them to refund Rs.13.2 lakh with 9% interest within 30 days, failing which the interest will increase to 12%. An additional Rs.1 lakh was awarded towards compensation and litigation costs. The order was pronounced by president SK Aggarwal along with bench members Paramjeet Kaur and Lt Col JS Bath....