A Tokyo court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit filed by purchasers of condominiums converted from the Tokyo Olympics athletes' village who demanded compensation from developers over an expected delay in the handover of the properties due to the one-year postponement of the games.
The Tokyo District Court ruled that the 28 plaintiffs do not yet have a firm basis for deciding the amount of compensation they should seek or a legal standing to demand compensation because the originally planned March 2023 deadline for developers to hand over the properties has not yet passed.
The properties in question are part of the Harumi Flag complex being developed on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay where a total of 4,145 residential units are slated to be supplied.
The plaintiffs bought the condominiums in 2019 when 940 properties were put on sale. They were set to move into their new homes after the developers completed the refurbishment of the athletes' village following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
But the coronavirus pandemic forced a one-year postponement of the games and the developers subsequently decided to delay the handover of the units. The prospective residents were told their properties would be handed over between January and March of 2024.
The plaintiffs also demanded rent payments that arise from the expected delay in their moving plans. They are planning to appeal the ruling.
One of the plaintiffs said at a news conference after the decision that his family has been deeply inconvenienced by the delay. The male plaintiff in his 30s called for his unit to be handed over soon, noting his current residence is too small for his family.
Mitsui Fudosan Co., which represents the developers in the case, declined to comment on the ruling, saying it concerns their specific customers.
