Homeowner Dr Hune Margulies had engaged Devika Ana Maria Martins under an estimated Rs 45.45 lakh proposal with an agreed 45-day completion window. After receiving Rs 18 lakh in advance payments, Martins allegedly altered specifications, skipped traditional lime plaster, and abandoned the premises. The Goa commission proceeded ex parte after Martins ignored notices, using photographs of unfinished doors and windows to substantiate the deficiency.
Key points
Homeowners can establish consumer status under the Consumer Protection Act through corres…: Homeowners can establish consumer status under the Consumer Protection Act through correspondence, proposals, and payment records without a signed agreement.
Contractors face binding financial liabilities and compensation orders if they unilateral…: Contractors face binding financial liabilities and compensation orders if they unilaterally modify agreed materials and abandon restoration projects.
Photographic evidence and documentation showing incomplete structural elements are suffic…: Photographic evidence and documentation showing incomplete structural elements are sufficient to legally establish material deficiency in service.
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NEW DELHI: A district consumer commission in Goa, has held a renovation contractor deficient in service for failing to complete work on a traditional Goan house, after she was paid Rs 18 lakh by the 67-year-old owner. In its order dated October 16, the commission partly allowed the complaint and directed her to refund Rs 11 lakh with interest, and to pay Rs 2.5 lakh as compensation and Rs 30,000 as litigation costs.
How the dispute arose
According to the order, the complainant, Dr Hune Margulies, engaged contractor Devika Ana Maria Martins to renovate and restore his residential property at Divar, Goa. He said she presented herself as an expert consultant and contractor in restoring old Goan houses.
On October 13, 2025, she submitted an estimate and scope of work valued at Rs 45,45,580, with a 45-day timeline. The complainant alleged that she then demanded two advance payments of Rs 9 lakh each, contrary to the agreed payment schedule. He paid the first by cheque on November 1, 2025, and the second through NEFT on November 22, 2025.
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