Updated 27 October 2026. The SOP was issued in July and remains on K-RERA's list of latest notices. We read it in full, along with K-RERA's Lok Adalat notice and two High Court rulings on recovery, and set out the steps with the timelines most guides leave out.

What is the legal basis for recovery?

Section 40(1) of the RERA Act, read with Rule 25 of the Karnataka RERA Rules, lets the authority or adjudicating officer recover interest, penalty or compensation from a promoter, allottee or agent as arrears of land revenue under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. Section 40(2), read with Rule 26, lets the authority enforce its other orders as if they were a decree of the principal civil court (K-RERA circular, 28 July 2026).

The K-RERA execution SOP, step by step

Source for all steps: K-RERA circular RERA/REVENUE/TAH/05/2026 dated 28 July 2026, in force with immediate effect. K-RERA's IT department was asked to build the online system for execution petitions (step 9 of the circular).

  • Step 1, day 60: sixty days after the order, K-RERA writes to both parties asking whether the order has been complied with.
  • Step 2, petition: if the promoter (the 'judgment debtor') has not fully complied, the buyer (the 'decree holder') files a petition on the K-RERA portal in the prescribed format, with an up-to-date memo of calculation where applicable.
  • Step 3, notice: both parties are called to appear on a date within two weeks of the petition's registration and final numbering; the promoter must respond or report compliance.
  • Step 4, two weeks to comply: if the authority finds non-compliance after hearing both sides, the promoter gets two weeks to comply. Full compliance closes the petition as complied.
  • Step 5, asset affidavit (money orders): if the promoter still fails, the authority directs an affidavit of all movable and immovable assets, including bank accounts and investments, within two weeks. The buyer may also list the promoter's assets. A false or missing affidavit can draw further orders.
  • Step 6, disposal: if the promoter complies by the final hearing, the petition is closed as satisfied.
  • Step 7, recovery certificate: otherwise, the authority issues a revenue recovery certificate under Section 40(1) and Rule 25, sent to the jurisdictional deputy commissioner for attachment and auction of movable and immovable property, including bank accounts.
  • Step 8, non-money orders: for orders such as handing over amenities, the authority may enforce the order itself as a civil-court decree or transmit it to the principal civil court with jurisdiction over the promoter or the project, under Section 40(2) and Rule 26.

How long does K-RERA recovery take?

An illustration, our arithmetic, assuming every step happens on its earliest date: 60 days to the compliance check, about 14 days to the first hearing after numbering, 14 days to comply, and 14 days for the asset affidavit. That is roughly 100 days from the order before a recovery certificate can issue, before the deputy commissioner's attachment and auction even begin. Real cases often take longer, because hearings are adjourned and filings are late.

The slowest stage has historically been the revenue side. In a writ decided on 27 April 2026, the High Court directed the authorities to recover the amounts in two K-RERA recovery certificates within eight weeks, said recovery is mandatory once a certificate is issued, and allowed the buyers to give the Special Deputy Commissioner a list of the promoter's assets (W.P. No. 13245 of 2026, as reported by IndiaLaw, 13 June 2026). In another writ listed in a late-August 2026 case digest, the state told the court a Special Deputy Commissioner's office had been set up to implement RERA orders and recovery certificates and sought four weeks; the court recorded the statement and closed the petition (IBC Laws, RERA Bulletin, 31 August to 5 September 2026).

What to prepare before filing an execution petition

  • A certified copy of the K-RERA order and its date.
  • An up-to-date memo of calculation: principal, interest at the rate and from the dates in the order, and any amounts already received. Interest keeps running, so date the memo.
  • Proof of non-payment: bank statements and any correspondence asking the promoter to comply.
  • A list of the promoter's assets you know of: other projects, land, bank accounts named in agreements. The SOP lets the buyer produce this (step 5), and the April 2026 High Court order allowed buyers to give such a list to the Special Deputy Commissioner.
  • If several buyers in the same project hold orders, coordinate: one asset list helps everyone.

Can a K-RERA case be settled at a Lok Adalat?

Yes. K-RERA, under the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, held a National Lok Adalat on 19 September 2026 for complaints about refunds with or without interest, compensation, delay interest, amenities, and 'permissible execution proceedings in the disposed off cases', with pre-sittings on working days until 18 September from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm (K-RERA notification K-RERA/ADM/08/2026, 8 September 2026). K-RERA's notice lists the advantages: no court fee, settlement only with both parties' consent, and an award that is final and non-appealable.

K-RERA's notice board shows earlier Lok Adalat sittings, including in December 2025 and July 2024. As of 27 October 2026 we saw no notice for the next one. A settlement is worth considering only if the amount and dates are written into the award; do not withdraw an execution petition on a verbal promise.

What if the promoter appeals instead of paying?

A promoter can appeal a K-RERA order to the Karnataka Real Estate Appellate Tribunal, but under the proviso to Section 43(5) of the RERA Act a promoter's appeal is heard only after it deposits at least 30% of the penalty, or the full amount ordered to be paid to the allottee with interest and compensation, as the tribunal directs. Ask whether that deposit has been made. Our complaint guide covers the appeal route and deadlines: How to File a Complaint in Karnataka RERA: 2026 Guide