Epress.am News from Armenia
About 40 people who purchased apartments in newly built buildings in the Yerevan district of Davtashen at around 12 pm today went to the Artsakhbank on Sayat Nova Ave., asking that the money collected from them be the amount noted in their contracts and not the amount added by the bank.
Bank employees attempted to ask the homeowners to step outside, but they insisted they won't leave until their concerns are addressed.
A few of the homeowners spoke with the branch manager, but they claim the conversation didn't produce any results and they will continue to complain. "He put a soft pillow beneath our heads. In a very calm tone he said there's nothing they can do. But we will come every day, disrupt the work of the bank, until our issue is resolved," one of the homeowners, Mrs. Emma, told Epress.am.
In total, 155 homeowners have signed contracts with the developer, Tonus LLC, in October 2006. According to the contracts, Tonus was to have completed construction of the buildings at 118/1 Papazyan Street and those built in the 2nd quarter of the Davtashen district by 2008 and hand over the apartments, but the company has not fulfilled its obligations.
Earlier, Epress.am spoke with Artsakhbank's lawyer, Gevorg Chakmishyan, who had said that those having preliminary contracts are not, in fact, homeowners, as they have only a preliminary sale and purchase agreement — some don't even have documents that are notarized.
At the same time, the attorney noted that Artsakhbank doesn't deny that people paid Tonus LLC, but that doesn't concern the bank.
"Tonus placed the buildings as collateral and took out a loan with us. The company's bankruptcy cannot be considered artificial, since they [company owners] themselves filed for bankruptcy, which was recognized, since their commitments exceeded their available assets," said the attorney.