New rules governing the community service charges Dubai homeowners pay have seen some residents hit with bills for more than Dh1,500.
The system used to calculate the size of a property changed this week, Dubai Land Department said.
The revamp relates to how balconies and terraces are measured and included in a property's size.
In a pilot run in several communities some owners paid higher charges more while many saw a drop.
From the financial audit we have done, we know the overall service charges will come down
Service charges generally cover maintenance, upkeep of communal areas and in some places air conditioning. They are paid by owners or landlords and not renting tenants.
Indian businessman Harsh Nahar, 41, found his apartment in The Greens was remeasured from 750 square feet to 1,050 square feet to include his ground floor terrace.
He received an email from Dubai Land Department 10 days ago explaining the changes followed by a bill from Emaar for Dh1,576 extra for this year. That was on top of the Dh14,200 he already paid for 2018.
"Emaar said the land department had recalculated the size of the property and I had to pay the new charges," he told The National.
“The outdoor area is closed off and there is nothing there except a light.
“There is nothing connecting it to any community area that may incur additional charges.”
Other Greens owners received the same bills.
“We have the same problem, Dh600 added to each quarterly bill,” one owner wrote in a Facebook community group.
“This is in addition to the annual fee which I have paid.
“I’m not sure why this fee is to be paid, and for what service.”
Many other owners benefitted from the changes, seemingly paying less when their homes were remeasured.
Sean Corroon, a programmer for a government department, has a two bedroom apartment in The Views.
His service charges fell from Dh5,385 per quarter to Dh5,160, a reduction of Dh280 and an annual saving of Dh900.
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“I have had no calls or emails to tell me anything about these changes," said Mr Corroon, 27, who bought his flat for Dh1.75 million in August 2018 and pays about Dh21,540 per year in service charges.
“I only found out through The Greens Facebook forum. I have no idea what the service charges are paying for exactly.”
“When I checked my Emaar One mobile app, I noticed my fees have actually dropped for this last quarter.”
As part of the changes all landlords and homeowners must sign up to a new payment app called Mollak, which was launched by the land department's regulation agency Rera.
A four-month trial has seen 1,240 buildings and 89 property management companies enrolled.
The system will be rolled out across the city as of January.
That means payments will be made to that system instead of their community management company or developer, and they receive a breakdown of what their services charges are spent on.
Marwan bin Ghalita, chief executive of Rera, told The National that homeowners included in the pilot should not have seen their bills rise or been charged more by their developer.
He said residents would not be penalised simply because they have outdoor space as there are "no services on it like air conditioning or other utilities".
“From the financial audit we have done, we know the overall service charges will come down," he said.
“The system will create more transparency."
Mario Volpi, leasing manager at Engel & Volkers and a property columnist for The National, said more clarity is needed on the changes.
“Any new rules designed to improve the lives of resident property owners is welcome, but why a balcony or terrace should make any difference to service charges is not clear,” he said.
“Although agents are not the first to be informed of changes from Rera and the land department, none of this has been communicated to us.”
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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Friday
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Valencia v Levante (midnight)
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yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
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Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
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Key facilities
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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