New Delhi, Aug. 10 -- The Allahabad High Court has imposed a Rs.2.5 lakh cost on a builder after a Noida homebuyer was forced into multiple rounds of litigation for nearly 13 years over delayed possession of a flat. The court also upheld 24% annual interest payable to the homebuyer for the delay, LiveLaw reported.

The case involved M/s Aims Max Gardenia Developers Pvt. Ltd. and homebuyer Pratibha Gupta. The buyer had paid Rs.35.90 lakh for a flat in the developer's Golf City project in Sector 75, Noida. Under an agreement signed in April 2011, possession was promised by June 2013. However, the builder failed to hand over the flat as promised.

The homebuyer approached the Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Gautam Budh Nagar. In July 201...