SHANNISE DZOBO
CHIVI-Chivi Rural District Council, chief executive officer, Tariro Matavire has advised residents who need to extend their lease agreements on stands allocated to them to approach the local authority for a review.
Matavire said this after The Midweek was inundated with queries from residents complaining that the US$250 that they were required to pay for them to get title deeds was too exorbitant.
“If the residents feel that the US$250 equivalent is too much they must raise their complaints to the council and request for a review rather than to say that the lease should be granted for free,” said Matavire.
He went on to urge the residents to carefully read the terms and conditions of their lease agreements they signed.
One of Chivi residents who refused to be named for fear of reprisals told The Midweek Watch that Chivi council want them to pay an extra fee of US$250 so that they get their title deeds despite paying the US$50 application fee and US$20 for occupation certificate.
“The council leased stands to residents with the option to purchase after a period of 10 years and then the property would be transferred from leases to Deed of grants by the council but now they want us to pay an extra fee of US$250 so that we get title deeds despite the US$50 for application fee and US$20 for occupation certificate,” wrote the reident.
Matavire said that the, “lease agreement include that the leasee must fully develop the stand within the currency of the lease and exercise the privilege of purchasing the stand and if the developer fails to complete developing the stand within the lifespan of the lease, leasee may apply to the lessor for extension of the lease and the lessor is entitled to charge the leasee for that extension.
“The leases must have been fully developed within the currency of the lease and if the developer fails to adhere with the conditions they may apply for lease extension but the lessor is entitled to charge the leasee for that therefore those who failed to complete the construction of their houses, their leases expired and by the time they decided to apply for their title deeds they had long expire hence the council advised them to apply for extension for US$250 because they are not allowed to use expired leases to acquire title deeds,” said Matavire.
