Every cooperative housing or commercial society runs on a framework of byelaws meant to ensure fairness and transparency. Yet, differences in interpretation often lead to confusion or disputes — especially regarding member rights, associate memberships, or how societies levy various charges.

In this week’s column, I shall address three commonly misunderstood issues. The first clarifies the distinction between associate and co-members and whether an associate member’s name should appear on the cooperative housing society’s (CHS/the Society) share certificate. The second examines the legality of societies arbitrarily increasing non-occupancy and leave & licence charges beyond the limits prescribed by law. Finally, we look at whether commercial societies can impose maintenance charges on mez

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