Conflict between Estate Developers, Homeowners Avoidable

By Bennett Oghifo

Conflict is inevitable in human coexistence but incidences of conflict between developers and homeowners can be avoided if the terms and conditions of engagement are understood by all parties and adhered to strictly.

The various disagreements that have occurred and continue to rock some property developments are caused because the rules of engagement get jettisoned at some point in the implementation of the contract for all sorts of reasons.

At play right now is the disagreement between Lekki Gardens, and homeowners/residents of Premier-1 Estate, one of the estates it developed in Lekki, Lagos.

Investigations revealed that the residents want control of the estate’s utility generators, sewage treatment plant, estate flood control pumps and water holding tank, which are located in a particular area.

However, the developer had insisted it would manage these infrastructures, which the residents allegedly used blocks to condone off to allow them easy access. The developer went to the area to pull down the wall.

Multiple sources at the estate said the issue which was already being addressed with the leadership of the Residents Association was quickly escalated to slander the brand name and set wrong narratives.

Anchored on a misleading headline “Lekki Gardens Launches Dawn Attack On Estate Residents”, the author accused the real estate developer of employing the services of “suspected thugs to break into their Premier–1 Estate in the early hours of Monday”, a statement that is completely false and a mere distraction from the issue at hand.

It was gathered that on December 31, 2020, residents of the estate wrote the developer requesting to take over control of shared services and facilities in the area which the developer promptly wrote back to turn down their request, giving reasons for the decision. They stated that the facility being sought to control was a shared infrastructure between two estates, Premier-2, and one of the developer’s offices in the area hence, it was not possible to cede control to the Residents Association. Unfortunately, while they were still dialoging and exploring avenues to resolve the matter, the residents resorted to self-help by breaking into the service area and shutting other users out from the service. As it stands, the developer has reported the issue to the Police for investigation and peaceful resolution.

Lekki Gardens is a responsible company that takes pride in developing quality real estate properties with a knack for customers satisfaction at all times and will not directly or indirectly seek to jeopardise the very essence for which they are in business – to provide luxury apartments that are affordable and consequently help reduce the 17million housing deficit in Nigeria.