The landlord and 19 tenants of the two-storied, two-winged Jaiphal Terrace on Forjett Street are debating the pros and cons of repairing the 108-year-old building or offering it for redevelopment. The tenants have received three notices from Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) citing that the structure is "dangerous” and in need of repairs. Nasha Jassawalla, president, Jaiphal Terrace Tenants Association told Parsiana on September 15, 2017 that the "tenants are ready for
Jaiphal Terrace: grid-locked tenants and landlord
redevelopment, not repairs…Who repairs a century-old building?” he asks. The impasse with the trustees of M. B. Seith Trust that owns the property has gone on for more than eight years, according to Jassawalla. "We have had so many meetings with trustee Burjor Mehta. The three-man trustee board does not want to see the merits of redevelopment,” he commented. Jassawalla is skeptical of the ability of MHADA to undertake diligent repairs. He claims that the repairs would address only the "visual” damage to the building. "The real damage is internal and once repairs are started, the cost may go up to three times the estimate of Rs 1.15 crores (USD 178,000). He believes that "redevelopment is a more lucrative option for the Trust” that reportedly earns a total of Rs 18,000 annually as rent from the tenants. On being asked by the trustees to find a redeveloper after one chosen by them backed out, the tenants "found a Parsi redeveloper, with an excellent track record... even then, the trustees say, repairs, not redevelopment.”
Mehta pointed out in a call with Parsiana on September 22 that the delay in decision making as to which is the better option, repairs or redevelopment is due to lack of cohesiveness and internal bickering among the tenants. "Most of the occupants are using an area from 1,600 to 2,200 sq ft of space for an approximate rent of Rs 100. They have never responded positively to various attempts made by the Trust to unite them in repairs.” Mehta has ruled out redevelopment: "The Trust did not look at this as it was not feasible due to regulatory constraints,” he pointed out to the mid-day of September 8. The Trust has offered to pay the difference between the statutory limit that MHADA will bear and the estimate prepared by their architect.