Popular real estate firm, Portal Realties, has been described as a ‘deceitful and an unreliable’ company by a client claimed to be disappointed in its business dealings.
The company was alleged of retrieving land sold to clients without refunding or reallocation. A practice said to have started over three years ago.
An aggrieved client, Prince Rasheed Ogundimu told newsheadline247 that the company’s unfair business practices may deplete trust of Nigerians in the industry.
Narrating his experience with the real estate broker, Ogundimu said the company initially sold to him plots of land belonging to the Nigeria Police Force along airport road in Abuja but was lucky enough not to have spent much on construction before the police advised him to vacate the land.
“Portal Realties sold the land to me, I bought two plots and immediately after the land was allocated to me along the airport road, Abuja I started work on the site with foundation, that was between 2014 and 2015.
“During the process of the foundation, some policemen came informing us we were on their land and that we should go and check the survey plan of the land, to confirm the land we are about to occupy belongs to the Nigeria Police Force.
“I went straight to inform the management of Portal Realties; they gave us another place in their Broadview Estate, Lugbe, Abuja and paid equivalent labour charge of what we had done on the previous land allocated. Thereafter, we started working on the newly allocated plots,” Ogundimu stated.
According to him, Portal Realties changed the game again by asking him to vacate the new allocated plots of land after nearing completion of projects. An agreement was reached after a meeting with the company’s managing director which he claimed they have refused to fulfill till this moment.
“My project was nearing completion when all of a sudden the management of Portal Realties asked us to stop working again.
“In fact, I was about roofing one of the buildings; I have bought all the roofing materials already and I am afraid they might get spoiled if not used at the right time just because the management of the company stopped us from working on the site.
“About three years ago, I was invited for a meeting with their MD at Portal branch office in Lagos. I went to the meeting with my site engineer. And they said something like they might have to demolish the houses I have built but promised to build another one for all affected clients.
“And I asked when would they reallocate or give us new buildings as promised, they said hopefully in some months in 2015 and I asked them to put everything in written and send me a copy maybe via email or by post.
“The annoying part is till this moment that I am talking to you, I have not received any email or letter from them, talk-less of building new houses. They don’t even call to update me about the issues since 2015.”
All efforts to reach the management of Portal Realties was unsuccessful as no response was given to messages sent as at the time of publishing this report.
