Irate house buyers demand developer return their money<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 100 customers of Bumi Indah housing
\ncomplex in Tangerang staged a rally at the developer's office
\ndemanding the firm return their housing installments worth
\nbillions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
The customers swarmed the office of PT Artha Buana Sakti, a
\nmember of Bank Harapan Sentosa (BHS) Group located on Jl. Zaenul
\nArifin, West Jakarta, on Tuesday at 10 a.m. and immediately
\nunfurled banners and posters stating their demands.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the customers and two lawyers from the
\nJakarta Legal Aid Institute, Erna Ratnaningsih and Uli Parulian,
\nwere then received by the firm's lawyer Eka Wijaya.<\/p>\n
After discussing the matter for almost three hours, Eka left
\nthe meeting room, saying he would meet the firm's director
\nbecause he was unauthorized to make a decision.<\/p>\n
The customers followed Eka to another building in the Ketapang
\nIndah office complex. Upon arrival, the customers met Eka and an
\nexecutive of Artha Buana Sakti, who were about to leave the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
Suspecting that the developer and his lawyer would deny any
\naccountability, the customers got angry and ran after them.<\/p>\n
The company executive, who was unidentified, and lawyer Eka
\nran away from the angry crowd to an office in Gajah Mada Plaza,
\nabout 200 meters from the Ketapang Indah office.<\/p>\n
The customers followed them.<\/p>\n
They were stopped at the entrance of Gajah Mada Plaza by a
\ncordon of security guards and military personnel.<\/p>\n
The blockade almost sparked a serious incident when some of
\nthe customers threatened to stone the building and set it ablaze
\nunless they were allowed to meet Eka and his client.<\/p>\n
However, some of the crowd managed to calm down their friends.<\/p>\n
According to the customers' lawyer Erna, her clients, who
\nrepresented about 4,000 customers, demanded the company return
\nmoney they had paid to the developer.<\/p>\n
She said the customers had each paid between Rp 5 million
\n(US$666) and Rp 25 million since 1996 to the developer through
\nBHS until the bank was closed by the government in November last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
\"The firm's lawyer keeps promising that the matter will be
\ndiscussed by the firm in a meeting on Jan. 4 next year,\" Erna
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The customers appeared to become more emotional when the
\nlawyer would not guarantee that their money would be returned on
\nJan. 4, she said.<\/p>\n
Erna said the customers would lodge a complaint with the
\npolice, claiming the firm had swindled them. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irate-house-buyers-demand-developer-return-their-money-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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