Delayed condo delivery: organise dates and evidence before legal advice

Construction completion and handover may be different dates

When condo delivery is delayed, do not start counting months from a single remembered date. Identify the project, building and unit consistently with the documents, then separate stated dates for construction completion, inspection, ownership transfer and handover. These terms may refer to different stages. Assessing a breach requires the wording and conditions, rather than assuming every buyer has identical rights because the project is unfinished.

Link every date to its source document

Make four columns: stage, stated date, original wording and document name. Separate advertisements, signed contracts, appendices and notices changing the schedule. Keep complete documents and record when you received them. A later letter does not automatically erase every earlier term. Include any acceptance, signature or reservation concerning a postponement for legal review, rather than selecting only sentences supporting your own interpretation.

Record progress with the actual dates

OCPB's article about buying an unfinished condominium discusses retaining advertisements and progress photographs as evidence. For your own case, identify the building, when an image was taken or received, and its source. Distinguish the photograph's date from its forwarding date. Do not use an old image of uncertain origin to establish current conditions, or enter prohibited or unsafe construction areas to obtain photographs.

Include the buyer's own record

Gather instalment records, receipts, inspection invitations and responses, plus requests for actions by the buyer. Disclose unpaid instalments or outstanding documents accurately, because the lawyer needs to review both parties' performance. Suppose an inspection invitation arrived after the appointment date: retain the letter and evidence of receipt instead of relying solely on the date printed at its top.

Separate actual expenses from future plans

If you extend a tenancy or change moving arrangements, record dates, reasons and evidence of incurred expenses separately from quotations or estimates. Money already paid is not automatically recoverable in full, just as a delay does not establish a right to cancel in every case. Before stopping instalments or sending your own termination notice, obtain legal review of the terms, possible consequences and relevant deadlines.

Frame questions around the decision you need to make

Prepare a short account of what you need reviewed: the meaning of a handover deadline, a response to a postponement notice, or options if you no longer wish to wait. Give B Law Firm the date table and key documents within its service scope. If using OCPB's complaint process, enter through its official website and keep the reference number. Acceptance of a complaint does not guarantee a refund or compensation. If a response is due, seek advice before the file is complete.

References

• OCPB: Buying a condominium that is still under construction (in Thai)