Luxury development on SC beach turns into 'nightmare', generates losses and goes to court Reports from hundreds of buyers who invested in a luxury complex with hotel and shopping mall in Praia dos Ingleses, in Florianópolis, include losses that exceed R$200,000. Approved in 2017, the project is currently at a standstill, the construction permit has expired and is the target of almost 800 legal proceedings. Last week, the Public Ministry of Santa Catarina (MPSC) launched a notice to investigate the delay in the delivery of the work. One of the companies responsible for the complex justified a lack of resources after the pandemic and problems with an investment fund. ?Click and follow the g1 SC channel on WhatsApp ? The news in fact is: the initial registration of any demand, complaint or representation forwarded to the MP and acts as a "thermometer" or a preliminary procedure where it is assessed whether the complaint is well-founded, whether it involves public interest and whether it is within the competence of the institution. After the assessment, the procedure may proceed, archiving or opening an investigation. Professor Janaína de Sousa Alves, from São Paulo, is one of the victims of the deal. In 2020, it acquired five shares in the shared ownership model and today demands responses from the enterprise. "We lost R$200,000. Florianópolis is a very attractive city. One of the things we didn't even think about was: 'Ah, it's something that won't work.' We never thought about it. Even because it is a touristic, attractive city and the location is beautiful, we ended up believing it", reports Janaína. ? The project proposal combined the cooperative model (involving land owners, suppliers and around 140 members) with the sale of shared quotas (a format in which the buyer acquires the right to use the property during defined periods of the year, without having ownership of the property). ? The project, covering 16 thousand square meters, included a hotel with 356 rooms, a commercial area consisting of 100 stores and a parking lot with capacity for 400 spaces. JC Compra e Venda de Imóveis, one of those responsible for the project, says it is negotiating with a new investor company to enter the business to enable the resumption of works. Regarding pending issues, he justified a lack of resources after the pandemic and problems with an investment fund. Buyers report losses with luxury development in Florianópolis NSC TV/Reproduction Buyers from other states claim losses In addition to the teacher from São Paulo, Flávio Marcelino and his wife were also attracted by the project's proposal in 2020. The couple would invest a total of around R$44,000 each in two shares. The couple paid off just over R$10,000 before stopping payments, upon realizing that work on the site was at a standstill and that they could no longer contact those responsible. "It was going to be a shopping mall and facing the sea. They said there would be an even greater return, a greater appreciation after the extension of the beach. There was no one else working. We went after it, we filed a lawsuit to try to reverse this, but so far there has been no response. There is nothing left in their name, all their assets were removed and it is a huge loss for everyone who invested", reports Marcelino. The frustration is shared by buyers from other states who learned about the proposal during tours of the location. Gaucho businessman Otávio Borba bought three shares at the end of 2021 and invested more than R$ 21 thousand before suspending the installments. The couple's contract stipulated the delivery of the project for October 2022, also stipulating a tolerance clause of up to 180 calendar days from the scheduled completion date. "I had never heard of shared housing. We thought it was a legal investment and until today we have not had any return", he complains. Works on the Ingleses Beach Square multifunctional complex, in Florianópolis, are at a standstill Social networks/Reproduction Legal dispute and records of complaints Given the abandonment of the work, reports of losses multiplied on social networks and in consumer forums. In consultation with the Court of Justice of Santa Catarina (TJSC), the company JC Compra e Venda de Imóveis Ltda (one of the cooperatives) and JC Compra e Venda de Imóveis SCP Centrinho dos Ingleses (which owns part of the work) total almost 800 first and second degree lawsuits, appearing as defendants in most of the cases. In addition to the lawsuits and online groups formed by injured parties to exchange information, there are dozens of records on internet complaint platforms. 356 room Reproduction What those responsible say When asked to clarify the reasons for the interruption of the works and the situation of the clients, Júlio De David, owner of JC Compra e Venda de Imóveis, explains that the financial difficulties began four years ago "The work suffered a problem of lack of resources post-pandemic and everything else. I couldn't sell it anymore, there was a sales problem and the work had to be stopped. She also had a fund in São Paulo that she was investing at the time, which went through some difficulties. We imagined at the time that the work would be stopped for about 90 days, but what ended up happening is that, during that time, some people went to court, which hindered the entire process", claims De David. According to the businessman, the sales department and the doors of the project were definitively closed in June 2023, at which point the company started looking for new investors in the market. Work on the project in Praia dos Ingleses was stopped in 2023 NSC TV/Reproduction Promise of restructuring and reimbursement The management of JC Compra e Venda de Imóveis states that it is negotiating with a new investor company to enter the business to facilitate the resumption of the construction site.