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很多朋友经过辛勤工作与努力购置了房产, 其中许多是直接从建筑商定购的新房。在合同签署阶段, 负责任的律师会向购房者提示一项关于保障押金 (security deposit) 条款。这是一条保护建筑商合法权益的条款。即在新房交接时收取750元作为公共管线起到室内管线及新房内外相关设施由于购房者原因造成损坏和违规改变时的修补或改正费用。
当地方市政技术管理部门验收了建筑商的这一建筑项目后, 这笔钱即应返还签署合同并验收了新房的购房者。这个过程大约三至五年左右。如果您的律师没提醒, 或者您忘记了, 现在可以查一下合同, 确认无误后可要求建筑商返还。
之所以谈及这个问题，是因为某些建筑商在合同中这一条款预设了很多圈套。现把四年前我的购房合同文本中该条款摘录如下:
The amount of $750.00 as security for any damages to or unauthorized changes that the Purchaser may make to the grading of the Real Property and/or the driveway and/or any amounts the Purchaser may owe to the Vendor and/or for any breach of any of the Purchaser’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement and any damages, costs and expenses the Vendor may incur as a result thereof.
Such security shall be repaid to the Purchaser upon written request from the Purchaser after assumption of the subdivision of which the Real Property forms a part and/or such later date as the Vendor may require provided the Purchaser still owns the Real Property and occupies same as his principal residence less any amounts the Vendor may have to pay to correct or remedy any damages and changes and/or to pay itself any amounts owing to the Vendor and/or to cover any damages, costs and expenses incurred by the Vendor as a result of anything set out above;
根据这一合同条款 , 大多数已不住在所购房屋的购房者可能不会要求建筑商返还这笔押金了, 因为经双方签字的合同表诉得很清楚。毋庸质疑, 合同具有法律效力, 但是该条款不合常理更是显而易见。
我个人的经验有如下几点:
1. 签署合同时最好查询清楚这一条款细节，你会发现其很不合理。但往往建筑商不会改变合同文本, 购房者也不会因此放弃几十万, 甚至上百万的购房合同。我当时预测不到未来会有某种变化, 所以该阶段我没有提出任何异议。提请大家注意这一条款，可以加深你对其实质的认识和理解。
2. 新房交接后购房者必须自己通过信息查询或交流获悉地方市政部门是否已验收该建筑项目, 因为建筑商不负责通知购房者，更不会主动偿付这笔钱给你。购房者必须主动联系建筑商获取信息并提出书面要求。
3. 当你已不再居住在你所购置的房屋而提出你的押金返还要求时, 建筑商的回复一定是:根据合同条款, 你已不具有索偿这笔押金的资格。这也是我所经历的, 但请大家不要放弃。加拿大宪法和人权宪章赋予加拿大人选择居所的自由和财产不受侵犯, 一个建筑商的合同条款绝不应该凌驾于加拿大的最高法律之上。如同我在与建筑商来往邮件讨论中所言:
We both know the $750.00 was Grading/Security Deposit. ……The deposit should have been returned us since the final acceptance and /or assumption of the subdivision were completed by the municipality. From then the $750.00 was no longer Grading/Security Deposit, it is the money you owe us.
We had to move to our new address, where we reside as my ID showed, ……Our moving doesn't change the ownership of the money. We have already proved our identities to you and we are the only one who should get the money not anyone else.
经过双方多次电邮和礼貌的讨论, 建筑商不再坚持此合同条款, 返还了这笔钱。
我借51网站平台与大家分享我的经历, 希望有类似情况的朋友们可以参考借鉴, 维护我们作为消费者所拥有的合法权益, 避免不应有的经济损失。同时我们也要意识到主流强势的未必就是正确的, 不可触碰的。我们需要的是多一点公民意识和法治观念, 多一点礼貌, 多一点坚持。
在这里也特别希望法律界的朋友如果有机会的话, 作一些工作以减少和杜绝类似的侵犯消费者利益的合同条款, 无疑这对消费者和加拿大社会都有益。
最后, 请运作过程中仔细阅读合同条款, 不同建筑商是否有类似条款, 具体要求以及押金数额都可能不同, 避免不必要的纷争。 |
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发表于 2019-5-20 10:01:28
