The developer won't deliver my unit or title — what can I do?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Under PD 957 (the Subdivision and Condominium Buyers' Protective Decree), the developer must deliver the title of the lot or unit to you upon your full payment (Section 25). If they refuse or keep stalling, you can file a complaint against the developer with the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC), the quasi-judicial body that took over the former HLURB's adjudication function under RA 11201, at the HSAC Regional Adjudication Branch covering the project's location. HSAC can order the developer to deliver the title, deliver the finished unit, or refund what you paid. Keep your contract, official receipts, and every written follow-up.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
When exactly must the developer give me the title?
PD 957 §25 states the owner or developer 'shall deliver the title of the lot or unit to the buyer upon full payment.' Once you have fully paid, withholding the title is a violation you can enforce before the HSAC.
Where do I file if the developer won't deliver?
With the HSAC Regional Adjudication Branch that has jurisdiction over the region where the project is located. HSAC is the successor adjudication board of the former HLURB under RA 11201.
What can the HSAC order?
Depending on your case, HSAC can order specific performance (deliver the title or the completed unit), a refund of your payments, and other relief for unsound real-estate business practices by the developer.
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Your rights as a home buyer or renter — the Maceda Law (RA 6552) refund and cash-surrender-value rules when you stop paying a house or condo on installment, the grace period before a developer can cancel, PD 957 remedies when a developer won't deliver your unit, title, or promised amenities, how to file against a developer at DHSUD / the HSAC, and the Rent Control Act (RA 9653) limits on deposits, rent increases, and eviction.