A marketer, Victor Abiodun (not his real name), has accused Amba Properties Limited, located on Osilaru Street, off GRA Road in Sabo, Sagamu, Ogun State, of withholding his N1 million after failing to hand over a room and parlour apartment he paid for.
Abiodun told FIJ that he paid the money into the company’s GTBank account on August 18 after inspecting the apartment and receiving assurances from the company’s manager, Mayowa Adebanjo, that the property would be handed over to him within a few days.
With his tenancy at his former residence nearing expiration, Abiodun said the promised timeline was important to him because he needed to move into the new apartment immediately after his previous rent expired.
He said he even cleaned and prepared the apartment, expecting to take possession shortly after making payment.
However, according to him, the apartment was not handed over by the end of the month, which was also when his rent at his former residence expired.
Faced with the possibility of being stranded, Abiodun said he requested a refund of his N1 million so he could secure another apartment.
He alleged that instead of refunding the money immediately, Adebanjo told him the company would only return the money after another tenant was found for the apartment.
This, Abiodun said, left him with no definite timeline for recovering his money and forced him to source additional funds to secure another place to live.
“This issue is causing me severe financial strain and emotional distress,” he said.
Adebanjo, however, disputed Abiodun’s account and attributed the failure to conclude the tenancy to issues surrounding the prospective tenant’s guarantor and identification documents.
According to him, the company had informed Abiodun before payment that he was required to provide valid identification and have his guarantor appear physically at the company’s office to sign the necessary documents.
Adebanjo said Abiodun initially provided a temporary NIN slip instead of the required identification and subsequently struggled to produce a guarantor who could meet the company’s requirements.
He claimed that Abiodun later requested a refund after the company had already remitted the rent to the property’s landlady.
Adebanjo said he asked the landlady to return the money but was informed that she had already used it.
He therefore said the company was now trying to secure another tenant for the apartment so Abiodun’s money could be refunded.
Adebanjo assured that the N1 million would be returned before the end of the month, adding that there were already prospective tenants interested in the property.
Abiodun, however, maintained that the physical appearance of the guarantor was not clearly communicated to him before he made payment.
He said he understood that the guarantor would only be required to complete and submit the necessary documents, based on his previous experience with rental arrangements.
According to him, the requirement for the guarantor to appear physically was only made clear when his previous tenancy was already about to expire, making it difficult for the proposed guarantor to leave work and visit the property company.
The dispute has consequently left Abiodun waiting for the return of his N1 million while also bearing the additional financial burden of securing alternative accommodation.
