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Disclaimer: Advisory services only • Not legal/financial advice • Consult independent counsel • See Terms
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Last Updated: April 2026
By accessing or using The Hill Link's services, website, or engaging with our team, you ("Client", "you", or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you may not use our services.
These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and The Hill Link (referred to as "we", "us", or "our company"). Your continued use of our services constitutes ongoing acceptance of these Terms as may be amended from time to time.
The Hill Link provides property advisory, verification, due-diligence, ongoing-ownership monitoring, and related coordination services for real estate in Uttarakhand, India. Our services include but are not limited to:
IMPORTANT: We provide INFORMATION, ADVISORY, COORDINATION, and SUPERVISORY services. We are NOT real estate brokers, promoters, or agents under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 ("RERA"), not property managers under any state-level property-management regime, not legal practitioners within the meaning of Sections 29 or 33 of the Advocates Act, 1961, and not building contractors. Where a matter requires legal practice, we facilitate direct engagement with panel advocates (Section 22); where construction is required, the works contract runs directly between you and a vetted licensed contractor (Section 21), and we charge only a coordination fee. All our services remain consultative, coordinative, and supervisory in nature.
Timeline Estimates: All stated service delivery timelines (e.g., "15-20 days", "8-10 weeks") are ESTIMATES ONLY and are subject to factors beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to:
We commit to using commercially reasonable efforts to meet estimated timelines. However, we make NO GUARANTEE of completion within any specific timeframe.
NO REFUNDS OR LIABILITY will arise solely from timeline delays beyond our reasonable control. If delays exceed 50% of the original estimated timeline due to factors within our control, clients may request a timeline update and revised delivery schedule.
Scope of Services: Our services provide informational analysis based on available public records, on-ground verification, and professional assessment at the time of investigation. We are NOT LIABLE for:
MAXIMUM LIABILITY: In any event, our total liability to you for any claims arising from our services shall NOT EXCEED the fees you paid for the specific service giving rise to the claim.
We specifically DISCLAIM all consequential, indirect, incidental, special, or punitive damages including but not limited to: loss of profits, loss of investment opportunity, emotional distress, or property value loss.
Advisory Nature Only: Our services do NOT create:
You acknowledge that you are responsible for making your own independent decisions regarding property transactions and must consult qualified legal counsel, financial advisors, and other professionals before proceeding with any purchase.
We offer a tiered refund guarantee based on the severity of factual errors in our Truth Reports:
Full refund if we:
Partial refund if we:
IMPORTANT: This guarantee applies to Truth Report services only, not Full Advisory or Concierge packages (which have separate terms in the Engagement Letter).
You agree to:
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Hill Link, its directors, employees, contractors, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from: (a) your use of our services to the extent not caused by our negligence or willful misconduct, (b) your property transactions, (c) your violation of these Terms, or (d) your violation of any law or regulation.
These Terms shall be governed by the laws of India. Any disputes arising from these Terms or our services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
Any legal action must be commenced within ONE (1) YEAR from the date the cause of action arose, except for consumer complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which must be filed within TWO (2) YEARS as required by that Act.
MANDATORY ARBITRATION: You agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or our services shall be resolved through binding arbitration, NOT court litigation.
Before initiating arbitration, you must first attempt to resolve the dispute through good-faith negotiation. Send written notice to [email protected] describing the dispute. We will attempt to resolve it within 30 days. If unresolved, either party may proceed to arbitration.
The following disputes are NOT subject to arbitration and may be brought in court:
Consumer Protection Matters: Notwithstanding this arbitration clause, you retain the right to file complaints with consumer forums under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. However, if you elect to proceed with arbitration, that election waives your right to pursue the same claim in a consumer forum. Similarly, filing a consumer complaint waives your right to arbitration of that claim.
You agree that disputes will be resolved on an INDIVIDUAL BASIS only. You waive any right to bring or participate in class actions, collective actions, or representative proceedings.
All arbitration proceedings, submissions, and awards shall be kept confidential by both parties, except as required by law or to enforce the arbitration award. Breach of confidentiality may result in damages and attorney's fees.
As required under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, we provide the following disclosures:
We provide property advisory and verification services, not property sales. We do not sell, broker, or facilitate property transactions. We are consultants providing information and analysis.
All service fees are clearly disclosed before engagement. Fees are exclusive of GST (18% additional). Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE except as specifically stated in our Money-Back Guarantee (Section 6).
You have the right to file a consumer complaint with the appropriate consumer forum if you believe our services are deficient. Contact our Grievance Officer first:
Email: [email protected]
We will respond within 48 hours and resolve complaints within 30 days.
Consumer complaints under the Consumer Protection Act must be filed within TWO (2) YEARS from the date of service delivery or cause of action.
You agree NOT to use our Truth Reports, Ownership Snapshots, plan reports, research, or findings to circumvent our services by:
Breach Consequences: If you circumvent our services after receiving any Hill Link work product, you forfeit any right to refunds and agree to pay liquidated damages equal to: (a) the difference between the fee paid and the fee for the service tier whose scope you have in substance replicated (representing our lost engagement opportunity), plus (b) ₹25,000 for diminished value of our proprietary methodology, research, and vendor-network development. You acknowledge this is a genuine pre-estimate of our actual damages under Section 74 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and not a penalty.
Permitted Use: You may share reports with your own pre-existing legal counsel, chartered accountant, financial advisors, and immediate family members for your personal decision-making only. Sharing with any person who is reasonably likely to use the report to compete with or replace Hill Link's services requires our written consent.
IMPORTANT: The Hill Link is NOT a property listing service. We do not advertise, promote, or endorse any properties. We provide independent verification and analysis services.
Our Truth Reports may contain negative findings about properties, including legal risks, inflated pricing, or unfavorable conditions. These findings are based on:
All statements in our reports are either: (a) statements of fact based on documented evidence, or (b) clearly labeled professional opinions. We do not make defamatory statements.
Property sellers, brokers, or developers who disagree with our findings may request a factual review by submitting contradictory evidence to [email protected]. We will investigate and issue corrections if our findings were factually incorrect.
NO SERVICES will commence until you have signed a written Engagement Letter specifying:
The Engagement Letter will be provided via email and must be digitally signed before work begins. Your signature constitutes acceptance of these Terms.
Verbal agreements, WhatsApp conversations, or email discussions do NOT constitute a binding engagement. Only a signed Engagement Letter creates a service contract.
Preliminary Discussions: Any inquiries, consultations, or discussions prior to execution of an Engagement Letter are preliminary only and do not create any obligations, representations, or warranties on our part. Only a signed Engagement Letter creates binding service commitments.
Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform obligations due to events beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to:
In such events, the affected party must notify the other party within 7 days. Performance obligations are suspended during the force majeure event and will resume within a reasonable time after the event ends. If the force majeure event continues for more than 90 days, either party may terminate the agreement with a pro-rated refund of fees for work not yet performed.
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or website notification at least 30 days before taking effect. Continued use of our services after amendments constitutes acceptance of modified Terms. We review these Terms annually to ensure compliance with current laws and industry standards.
For questions regarding these Terms, contact us at: [email protected]
Where you engage our Caretaker Placement service (whether a-la-carte or as part of a Quarterly Review or Continuous Review plan), any person we introduce, vet, or contract on your behalf ("Caretaker") is placed solely as your agent within the meaning of Sections 182 to 238 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. The Caretaker does not hold, and shall at no time acquire, any tenancy, sub-tenancy, lease, licence, possessory interest, or beneficial interest of any nature whatsoever in the subject property.
The Caretaker's physical presence on the property, including any overnight stay for watch-and-ward duty, is incidental to the agency and is expressly not a transfer of possession. Such presence shall not be construed as (a) a lease or tenancy under Section 105 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, (b) a licence under Section 52 of the Indian Easements Act, 1882 of a kind conferring possessory rights, or (c) protected occupation under any Rent Control legislation in force in Uttarakhand.
On commencement of the placement, you shall execute with the Caretaker a written Caretaker Agreement in the form supplied by Hill Link, which (i) identifies the Caretaker's engagement as an agency under Sections 182–238 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, (ii) expressly disclaims tenancy, licence, and any possessory right, (iii) permits Hill Link oversight on your behalf, and (iv) contains a termination-at-will on seven (7) days' written notice. You authorise Hill Link to cause the agreement to be registered with the jurisdictional Sub-Registrar under the Registration Act, 1908, at your cost. Registration is the strongest documentary evidence of the permissive and consensual character of the Caretaker's occupation.
You authorise and require the Caretaker to execute a monthly written acknowledgment (template supplied by Hill Link) confirming (i) that the Caretaker occupies or accesses the property as your agent only, (ii) that the Caretaker claims no possessory right, and (iii) that the Caretaker will vacate on your written instruction. Each acknowledgment will be counter-signed by a Hill Link officer and stored with a verifiable timestamp. Failure of the Caretaker to sign two consecutive monthly acknowledgments is a ground for immediate termination of the placement.
In addition to 18.3 and 18.4, the following measures shall be maintained during the placement as documentary belt-and-braces against adverse possession:
The employer–employee relationship exists between you and the Caretaker directly. Hill Link's role is limited to background verification, contract drafting, placement, reporting oversight, and assistance with termination. Hill Link is not the Caretaker's employer for the purposes of the Code on Wages, 2019, the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948, the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, or any other labour legislation, and you indemnify Hill Link against any claim by the Caretaker alleging employment by Hill Link.
You agree not to modify, vary, or permit any variation of the Caretaker's role beyond the scope set out in the engagement letter and the registered Caretaker Agreement (for example, by permitting residential use by the Caretaker's family, agricultural cultivation for the Caretaker's own benefit, or any commercial use) without Hill Link's prior written consent. Any such unilateral variation terminates Hill Link's oversight obligations and shifts all risk (including any adverse-possession exposure) solely to you.
On termination of the placement for any reason, you agree to promptly (i) record the Caretaker's exit in writing, (ii) recover all keys and access credentials, (iii) if so advised by Hill Link's panel advocate, cause a No Dues / Exit Acknowledgment to be executed by the Caretaker, and (iv) record the exit in the next Rojnamcha petition. Hill Link will assist with this handover.
Where you are a non-resident within the meaning of the Uttarakhand (UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950) Amendment Act, 2025 (as described in Section 23), the Caretaker shall never be instructed or permitted to cultivate, farm, reside with family, or conduct any use that could re-characterise the plot as agricultural-in-use or exceed the 250 sq m residential cap. The Caretaker's scope is strictly watch-and-ward, access control, and reporting. Any deviation shifts all risk (including 2025-Amendment reversion risk) solely to you and terminates Hill Link's oversight obligations under Section 18.7.
Where Hill Link files a Rojnamcha petition, a mutation or rectification application, or any revenue-court filing on your behalf through a panel advocate, the Revenue Court Case Management System (RCCMS) portal case number (where allocated) shall be recorded in the client file and shared with you in the next status report. This preserves a verifiable chain of administrative steps on a State-maintained system.
Where the Caretaker's duties contemplate overnight stay or live-in residence at the Property, you authorise Hill Link to submit the Caretaker's details for police verification through the Uttarakhand Police CCTNS tenant-verification portal (policecitizenportal.uk.gov.in) or the equivalent thana-level form, in your name as the owner. This is a belt-and-braces measure: the Caretaker is not a tenant for the purposes of Section 18.2, but registering the live-in occupant with the jurisdictional police creates a contemporaneous public-record that further corroborates the Caretaker's agent-status. Any nominal fee is a Pass-Through under Section 19. Your consent to this submission under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is recorded in the Caretaker Placement engagement letter.
Appointment as pure agent. You hereby appoint Hill Link as your pure agent within the meaning of Rule 33 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, solely for the limited purpose of incurring the Authorised Expenses listed below, and for no other purpose. Hill Link shall neither hold nor intend to hold any title to the goods or services procured as pure agent, and shall not use such goods or services for its own interest. Hill Link shall recover only the actual amount paid to the third party, without any mark-up, handling charge, commission or uplift.
Authorisation (specificity required). You authorise Hill Link to disburse each Authorised Expense only upon your prior written approval for that specific expense (email or WhatsApp confirmation accepted). Expenses exceeding ₹10,000 on a single line item require item-wise approval. Generic or blanket authorisation shall not apply. In a genuine emergency where prior approval is not feasible — for example, an ex-parte injunction to prevent imminent encroachment — Hill Link may incur reasonable Authorised Expenses up to ₹25,000 (₹50,000 for Continuous Review clients) to preserve your position, supported by contemporaneous written intimation to you at the time of incurring, and will seek ratification within 48 hours.
The following categories are incurred as pure agent and are excluded from the taxable value of Hill Link's supply, subject to the conditions above:
Amounts recovered as pure agent shall be set out as distinct line items on the same tax invoice as Hill Link's own service fee billed under HSN/SAC code 998312, clearly labelled "Reimbursement — Pure Agent (Rule 33, CGST Rules, 2017)", and shall not be included in the taxable value of Hill Link's supply. The third party's invoice, receipt or challan shall be issued in your name, or endorsed to you within 15 days of payment. You remain primarily liable to the third party; Hill Link's payment is on your behalf and does not discharge any independent obligation of Hill Link. The invoice shall display three distinct subtotals — Taxable Value (Hill Link's supply), GST thereon, and Pure-Agent Recoveries (excluded from supply value) — summing to the Grand Total Payable.
The following categories are NOT structured as pure agent because the pure-agent conditions cannot be reliably satisfied on these facts. They flow client-to-third-party directly and are outside the scope of Hill Link's invoice:
The Authorised Expenses are optional add-ons that you may alternatively procure directly; they are not naturally bundled with Hill Link's advisory services and shall not constitute a composite supply within the meaning of Section 8 of the CGST Act, 2017. You may at any time elect to procure any Authorised Expense directly from the third party, without routing through Hill Link, without penalty or coordination-fee adjustment — this client-side optionality is the substantive basis on which the non-bundling position rests. Hill Link's own service fee is separately stated and attracts GST at the prevailing rate (currently 18%) on its own account. The taxable value of Hill Link's supply excludes all amounts recovered as pure agent.
For services priced on a retainer-plus-actuals basis (including Encroachment Response, contested Record Rectification, and the on-demand legal component of the Continuous Review plan), you will pay a refundable deposit as specified in the engagement letter, against which Authorised Expenses are drawn. Deposit balances are held as a client-identified liability in Hill Link's books under a sub-ledger titled "Client Deposits Payable — Pure Agent — [ClientCode]/[MatterCode]", segregated from Hill Link's operating income heads, are not recognised as Hill Link revenue, and are refunded or adjusted against third-party receipts on reconciliation. Hill Link will provide a reconciliation statement at case closure and at least every six months during a pending matter. Any unused balance is refunded within 30 days of reconciliation; any shortfall is invoiced with supporting documentation.
Every Authorised Expense above is documented with the corresponding third-party invoice, receipt, or challan, copies of which are shared with you within 15 days of payment. Third-party documents are stored under the file-naming convention HL/[ClientCode]/[MatterCode]/[Category]/[Date]-[DocRef].pdf and retained for eight years from invoice date, or for the life of the underlying instrument where longer.
Term and commencement. Annual Review, Quarterly Review, and Continuous Review plans are twelve-month commitments commencing on the date of fee receipt. Service delivery begins on receipt of payment and countersigned engagement letter.
Checkout disclosure. Before payment is taken, the checkout screen (or the engagement letter at the point of signature, for invoiced clients) shall surface on a single page: the twelve-month commitment, the renewal rule (opt-in), the refund mechanics, and a link to this Section 20. An explicit acknowledgment tick is required.
For seven (7) calendar days from fee receipt, you may cancel the plan for any reason. On cancellation within the cooling-off period, Hill Link shall refund the full fee less (i) documented out-of-pocket third-party costs already incurred with your prior approval, and (ii) a 2% payment-processing charge. No further deduction shall be made.
Plans do NOT auto-renew. Approximately 45 days before plan expiry, Hill Link will send a renewal notice setting out the proposed terms and any price revision for the next term. Absent your written acceptance and payment before expiry, the plan lapses on its natural end date. This position aligns with the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) 2023 Dark-Patterns Guidelines prohibition on "subscription trap."
After the cooling-off period, you may cancel a plan at any time on thirty (30) days' written notice. The refund is calculated as: Fees paid minus (unit value of delivered items per Schedule A of the Engagement Letter) minus (pro-rata monthly consumption of subscription components, counted as whole calendar months from commencement to effective cancellation) minus a 5% administrative fee (capped at ₹10,000). Unit values (Schedule A) are published in the engagement letter before signature. The deduction is a transparent accounting of earned fees, not a penalty.
Refund treatment for the Continuous Review plan is governed by the engagement letter, which shall specify Schedule A unit values, any minimum commitment period, and exit / transition charges. The engagement-letter refund rules shall in no case be less favourable to you than 20.3–20.5; any custom carve-out is voidable to that extent.
If Hill Link materially breaches its obligations under a plan and fails to remedy the breach within thirty (30) days of your written notice, you may terminate the plan with immediate effect. On such termination Hill Link shall refund the full unearned portion of fees plus simple interest at the State Bank of India MCLR rate from the date of breach.
If a scheduled instalment (where applicable) or a reconciled Pass-Through invoice under Section 19.7 remains unpaid beyond fifteen (15) days, Hill Link will issue a written reminder by email and SMS. Beyond thirty (30) days, Hill Link may suspend the service on written notice. Beyond sixty (60) days, Hill Link may terminate the plan. On termination for non-payment, Hill Link retains only (i) Schedule A unit values for delivered items, (ii) pro-rata monthly consumption up to the date of suspension, and (iii) a reasonable liquidated-damages sum equal to one month's monthly-equivalent fee (capped at ₹15,000 for Annual & Quarterly Review; ₹25,000 for Continuous Review). Any overpaid balance is refunded within 30 days.
Cancellation of a plan shall be no harder than sign-up. If you purchased via online checkout, you may cancel by a written request to our grievance email; no in-person visit or notarised document is required. This aligns with the CCPA 2023 Dark-Patterns Guidelines prohibition on "forced action" and "roach motel."
Reports already delivered, site inspections already completed, filings already made, and physical work already performed are, to the extent captured in the Schedule A deductions, non-refundable. This does NOT extend to the pro-rata monthly subscription component, which remains refundable on unused months.
Pricing is locked for the current plan term. Hill Link may revise pricing for the next term with at least 45 days' notice delivered by individual communication (email + SMS; not a website notice alone).
On cancellation, non-renewal, or termination, Hill Link will, within 30 days, (a) deliver a Plan Closure Report summarising work done, open items, and recommended next steps, (b) return or transfer property access credentials you provided, and (c) assign the Caretaker contract to you directly (at which point the Caretaker continues under your sole direction and Hill Link's oversight obligations end).
Nothing in Section 20 or Section 10 (arbitration) shall be construed to exclude your right as a consumer to file a complaint before the District Commission, State Commission, or National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Arbitration under Section 10 is non-mandatory for consumer disputes; you may elect the consumer-forum route at your option. This position tracks Emaar MGF Land Ltd. v. Aftab Singh, (2019) 12 SCC 751.
Data retention post-cancellation is governed by Section 6 of our Privacy Policy.
Where you engage Hill Link for physical work on your property — including Boundary Wall & Fencing, Boundary Demarcation, Name Board and Signage, Plot Cleanup, and similar services — Hill Link acts as coordinator and supervisor. We identify, brief, and supervise the vendor or contractor. We do not ourselves perform construction, fabrication, or earthworks. The works contract is executed directly between you and the contractor under Section 19.5; Hill Link is not a party to the works contract.
Contractor warranty. Any manufacturer or contractor warranty on materials or workmanship passes to you directly as the contracting party. Hill Link will assist with warranty claims but does not independently warrant the work beyond a commercially reasonable standard of vendor selection and supervision.
Force-majeure carve-out. Hill Link is NOT liable for damage to completed work caused by force-majeure events, including but not limited to monsoon-induced erosion, landslide, seismic activity, fire, wildlife intrusion, or acts of trespass. You are encouraged to maintain an appropriate property insurance policy covering such risks.
Hill Link will advise whether approval is required from (i) the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), (ii) the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority (HRDA), (iii) any other Uttarakhand development authority with jurisdiction over the site, (iv) the Gram Panchayat or Zila Panchayat, (v) the Nagar Nigam / Nagar Palika, (vi) the Forest Department (in respect of Eco-Sensitive Zone, Reserved Forest, or protected-area buffers), or (vii) any Wildlife / Tiger Reserve authority. Boundary walls exceeding 1.8 m in height within an MDDA / HRDA regulated area shall require prior intimation under the Uttarakhand Building Construction and Development Bye-laws, 2011 (as amended, including the HRDA Building Construction and Development (Amendment) Regulation, 2024). Obtaining and maintaining permits remains your responsibility as owner. Where you instruct us to proceed without a permit that our advisory identifies as advisable or mandatory, you do so at your risk and indemnify Hill Link against any resulting penalty, demolition order, sealing, or third-party claim.
You grant Hill Link and the contractors you have appointed reasonable access to the property for the agreed scope of work. Where Hill Link acts in good faith within the agreed scope of its supervisory role, you indemnify Hill Link against any claim by neighbours, occupants, or public authorities relating to that supervision.
Demarcation, fencing, and wall construction will proceed only on lines confirmed against the latest Bhu Naksha / Khasra map and revenue records. If a neighbour disputes the alignment mid-execution, work will pause. You will then decide either (a) to proceed at your risk, in which case you accept the neighbour-dispute exposure, or (b) to escalate the matter to the Tehsildar or revenue court; in the latter case a separate engagement under Section 22 may apply.
Where the contractor carries public-liability insurance, Hill Link will disclose its scope on request. Gaps between contractor insurance and your own property insurance are your responsibility to identify and close.
Hill Link is not a "Private Security Agency" within the meaning of Section 2(g) of the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005 and the Uttarakhand PSARA Rules; it does not supply, deploy, contract-out, or lend security personnel to clients for remuneration as a business. Hill Link's Caretaker Placement under Section 18 is deliberately structured on the PSARA-outside side of the relevant factors: employment runs client-to-caretaker under 18.6; Hill Link's fee is a placement + oversight fee, not a time-based watch-and-ward service fee; the caretaker is the client's direct agent and takes day-to-day directions from the client, not from Hill Link. Where any element of a prospective engagement would cross into "rendering private security services" as a business — for example, commercial premises with multiple guards, a site bank, or a multi-acre tourism project requiring a uniformed watch-and-ward roster — Hill Link will not perform the work without obtaining a PSARA licence first, and will instead refer you to a PSARA-licensed agency for a direct contract.
Hill Link is a property advisory firm. It is not a law firm, is not registered with any Bar Council, and does not practise law within the meaning of Sections 29 or 33 of the Advocates Act, 1961. Hill Link does not hold a vakalatnama, does not render legal opinions, does not appear before any court or revenue authority, and does not draft pleadings.
Where your matter requires legal representation before a revenue authority (Tehsildar, Naib-Tehsildar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Additional Collector, District Collector / District Revenue Court, the Board of Revenue Uttarakhand at second appeal, or the Uttarakhand High Court at writ / revision), or any other forum — including under Encroachment Response, contested Record Rectification, and any on-demand legal response component of your plan — Hill Link may, at your request, introduce you to one or more independent advocates maintained on a private referral panel. You are free to accept, reject, or propose alternative counsel. Hill Link does not publish the identity of panel advocates on its website, brochures, or this Terms of Service document.
Any engagement of a panel advocate is a separate and independent contract between you and the advocate, evidenced by a vakalatnama executed directly between you. All legal fees, including retainer, appearance, drafting, and out-of-pocket expenses, shall be paid by you directly to the advocate against the advocate's own invoice / GST receipt. The advocate's billing does not flow through Hill Link.
Hill Link does not share fees with panel advocates in any direction. No part of the advocate's fee is remitted to Hill Link, and Hill Link receives no commission, referral fee, or rebate from panel advocates. This structure is designed to preserve compliance with Rule 2, Part VI, Chapter II of the Bar Council of India Rules (fee-sharing with non-advocates) and Rule 6 (partnership with non-advocates).
The coordination fee payable to Hill Link under your plan is consideration solely for non-legal logistical services: scheduling, document collation and translation, revenue-record procurement, progress tracking, status reporting, and interface with the advocate's chambers. The coordination fee is NOT consideration for any legal service and does not include any pre-payment of advocate time.
For the Continuous Review plan only, the annual coordination fee payable to Hill Link under Section 22.5 is comprised of two disclosed components on the engagement letter: (a) Base Coordination Fee — scheduling, document collation, Hindi/English translation of non-pleading documents, status reporting, revenue-record procurement, and interface with service providers other than advocates; and (b) Legal-Matter Coordination Premium — the incremental coordination work that arises when an advocate (panel or otherwise) is engaged by you in parallel on any matter during the subscription year, including production of documents to advocate, hearing-date liaison with advocate's chambers, translation of pleadings and orders for an absentee owner, briefing-pack assembly, and status-report integration.
The Legal-Matter Coordination Premium is charged upfront as part of the annual fee and is refunded pro-rata at year-end if no advocate-engagement arose during the subscription year and Hill Link did not deliver any component of the Premium service. The refund is for non-delivery of Hill Link's own coordination service; it is NOT a payment linked to, offsetting, or contingent upon any advocate's fee.
Hill Link maintains an internal coordination timesheet for each Continuous Review client and matter, reviewed monthly and reconciled annually. The Premium quantum is set against Hill Link's blended coordination labour cost, documented in the internal timesheet, and is not derived from, correlated with, or benchmarked against any advocate's fee or fee scale. The refund quantum is fixed in the engagement letter (illustrative: ₹18,000 per matter-complexity-typical subscription year; the engagement letter sets the Premium based on the expected matter-complexity profile and may be higher, lower, or zero, and is not a fixed percentage of the plan fee) and does not reference, correlate with, or vary by any advocate's invoice. On year-end, Hill Link provides you a Coordination Timesheet Summary showing logged hours against the matter, from which the retain / refund computation is derived in accordance with thresholds published in Hill Link's internal coordination methodology.
The advocate (if any) is not informed of this internal fee composition. The structure is a pricing discipline within Hill Link's own service and does not constitute fee-sharing with any advocate within the meaning of Rule 2, Rule 6, Rule 36, or Rule 37, Part VI, Chapter II of the Bar Council of India Rules, nor does it constitute inducement within the meaning of P.N. Vignesh v. Chairman, BCI (Madras HC W.P. No. 12901 of 2023, decided 03.07.2024; SLP (C) Nos. 17844/2024 and 25794/2024 tagged and pending at the Supreme Court as of April 2026, notice issued 13.11.2024, Madras HC directions not stayed).
You will execute a separate vakalatnama or Power of Attorney in favour of the panel advocate, limited to the specific matter. That vakalatnama defines the scope of the advocate's mandate (to appear, file, plead, negotiate) and expressly reserves to you any decision to compromise, settle, withdraw, or appeal; no such decision will be taken by the advocate without your written instruction.
Communications between you and the panel advocate are protected by attorney–client privilege under Sections 132 to 134 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (which, with effect from 1 July 2024, replaced Sections 126 to 129 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872), as reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in In Re: Summoning of Advocates, 2025 INSC 1275 (decided 31.10.2025). Where Hill Link facilitates the exchange of documents and instructions between you and the advocate, those communications remain privileged and will be handled under a written confidentiality undertaking. Hill Link's internal coordination notes (project-management entries, invoicing records) are Hill Link's own work product and are not covered by your privilege with the advocate.
Before accepting a matter, the panel advocate will run a conflict check. Where a potential conflict exists — for example, the opposing party is also a Hill Link client — Hill Link will disclose this to you and the advocate will obtain your written consent or decline the engagement, as BCI rules require.
Advocate engagements are on retainer or at-actuals basis only, never on contingency. No outcome is warranted. Hill Link makes no representation that an injunction will issue, that a mutation will be approved, that an adverse entry will be removed, or that a case will succeed. Hill Link does not supervise the advocate's professional judgment and is not responsible for the advocate's conduct of the matter.
You may terminate the panel advocate at any time by written notice and revocation of the vakalatnama. Advocate fees for work done up to termination remain payable directly to the advocate.
Hill Link shall not publish panel advocates' names, photographs, ratings, seniority tags, or firm affiliations on its website, marketing materials, social media, or this Terms of Service. Introduction of an advocate to a specific client is always one-to-one, after the client has engaged Hill Link. This discipline is maintained to prevent any construction of Hill Link as a "lawyer aggregator" under the P.N. Vignesh line.
The Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950) (Amendment) Act, 2025 — Act No. 11 of 2025, assented by the Governor on 30 April 2025 — places material restrictions on land acquisition and holding by non-residents. This Section 23 describes the consequential discipline within Hill Link's scope of services. Where subsequent notifications or rule-making under the Act modify the details cited below, the statutory position prevails.
Where our Truth Report or Full Advisory engages with a prospective purchase by a client who is not domiciled in Uttarakhand (a "non-resident" within the meaning of the 2025 Amendment), Hill Link's scope includes verifying whether the intended acquisition falls within a permitted category (residential ≤ 250 sq m with family-affidavit, or one of the exempt districts / use-cases). We do NOT structure, advise on, or facilitate any transaction that, to our knowledge, breaches the 2025 Amendment, including any benami or proxy-domicile structure. Clients requesting such structuring are declined at intake.
Where our Ownership Report plan services a non-resident-owned plot lawfully acquired before the 2025 Amendment, our services (Caretaker Placement, quarterly audits, rectification, encroachment response) continue without change. Where a client's acquisition is currently under review by the State Government or any tehsil authority for compliance with the 2025 Amendment or the preceding Section 166 / 167 UPZALR restrictions, Hill Link will, at the client's written instruction, pause field operations on that plot (including Caretaker Placement and new Boundary Wall work) until the compliance status is clarified, to avoid any appearance that our services are being used to fortify an impugned transaction.
If, during the subscription period of any Ownership Report plan, the property becomes subject to a reversion proceeding under Section 166 / 167 UPZALR Act 1950 (as amended) or the 2025 Amendment's three-year-usage clause, Hill Link will immediately notify you, suspend recurring field operations, and hand over a plan-closure report under Section 20.12. Fees for the unconsumed period are refunded under Section 20.5. Hill Link does not represent you in the reversion proceeding; Section 22 referral applies.
Where we advise a non-resident client on a residential acquisition, we will expressly confirm in writing (in the Truth Report or Engagement Letter) the applicability of the 250 sq m family-level cap and the affidavit requirement. Any subsequent purchase of additional residential land exceeding the cap — whether through us or otherwise — is at your risk and does not attract Hill Link warranty or advisory protection.
Applications under Section 143 of the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 (as adapted for Uttarakhand) — for re-classification of land from agricultural to non-agricultural in the revenue record — are filed before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Assistant Collector) having jurisdiction, through the State's online portal at landuse.uk.gov.in, on the recommendation of the Lekhpal and with the endorsement of the Tehsildar. Where the land is located within a notified regulated or development area of the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority, the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority, or any other Uttarakhand Urban Development Authority, a Section 143 re-classification alone is insufficient to enable lawful non-agricultural use: the intended use must also conform to the sanctioned Master Plan zoning for that area under the Uttarakhand (UP Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973) as amended, and — where the intended use diverges from the Master Plan zoning — a separate Change-of-Land-Use (CLU) sanction from the concerned Development Authority is required, followed by a building-plan sanction under the Uttarakhand Building Construction and Development Bye-laws, 2011 (as amended, including the HRDA Building Construction and Development (Amendment) Regulation, 2024). Our Truth Report and Full Advisory services identify, at the due-diligence stage, which combination of these forums applies to the specific plot and intended use, and advise on sequence, timing, documentation, and fee-schedule. We do not represent you in either the Section 143 application or the CLU / building-plan sanction — a panel advocate engaged under Section 22 does.
Hill Link is not an Authorised Dealer and does not hold an FFMC licence. We do not execute foreign-exchange transactions, hold client funds in any currency other than Indian rupees, or advise on investment-quota compliance beyond the property-law aspects of the Uttarakhand (UP ZA&LR Act 1950) Amendment Act, 2025.
Where you are a non-resident Indian (NRI) or a person of Indian origin (PIO), you are responsible for ensuring that payments to Hill Link, to vetted contractors, to the Caretaker, and to panel advocates are routed through a permissible account under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 — typically your NRO account for rupee-denominated payments in India, or your NRE account for remittance-funded payments. You warrant that the underlying source of funds is compliant with FEMA, the Income-tax Act 1961, and any applicable tax-treaty.
Where any payment to a non-resident crosses the statutory threshold — currently ₹5 lakh per recipient per financial year in applicable cases — the remitter is responsible for filing the prescribed remittance declaration and obtaining the chartered-accountant certificate. For remittances on or before 31 March 2026, the applicable forms are Form 15CA and Form 15CB under Rule 37BB of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, read with Section 195(6) of the Income-tax Act, 1961. For remittances on or after 1 April 2026, those forms are replaced, under the Income-tax Act, 2025 and Rule 220 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026, by Form 145 (remitter declaration) and Form 146 (CA certificate), with substantive thresholds retained. Filing remains your responsibility. Hill Link will share invoices and payment details on request to support your chartered accountant; we do not file Form 15CA / 15CB, Form 145 / 146, or any successor form on your behalf.
Refunds of our fees or pass-through balances are made in Indian rupees to your Indian bank account specified in the engagement letter. Repatriation from that account to any overseas account is your responsibility under FEMA's Remittance of Assets Regulations, 2016 and the USD-1-million-per-year NRO ceiling.
We advise on property legal, regulatory, and operational matters. We do not advise on FEMA capital-account regulations, restrictions under Rule 24 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019 on acquisition and transfer of immovable property by persons resident outside India (which superseded the FEM (Acquisition and Transfer of Immovable Property in India) Regulations, 2018 with effect from 17 October 2019), or taxation of property-sale proceeds. Engage a chartered accountant or tax counsel for these.
Where you are subject to tax audit under Section 44AB of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (or are a corporate entity), you remain responsible for deducting tax at source at the applicable rate (currently 1% / 2% under Section 194-C on works-contractor payments and 10% under Section 194-J on professional fees — subject to the per-payee threshold of ₹50,000 per financial year (Finance Act 2025) — on fees payable to the panel advocate, IBBI valuer, and Hill Link for its own coordination fee) and depositing it with the Government. Our invoice makes clear the amount on which TDS is applicable. Most individual NRI clients not carrying on business / profession in India fall outside the 44AB scope and are not obliged to deduct TDS on our fee; confirm with your CA.
Where you are not physically present in Uttarakhand to execute the Caretaker Agreement (Section 18.3), the Engagement Letter, the vakalatnama in favour of any panel advocate (Section 22.3), or any instrument requiring your presence, you shall issue a Specific Power of Attorney in favour of a named attorney-in-fact (a trusted family member, your chartered accountant, your advocate, or a Hill Link officer if you so choose) limited to the specific act — for example, "to sign the Caretaker Agreement in the form annexed and to admit registration before the Sub-Registrar on my behalf." General Powers of Attorney are discouraged because of recurrent PoA-misuse fraud; a limited SPA is the defensive posture.
If executed in India, the SPA is signed before a notary on stamp paper and (for immovable-property-related acts) registered under Section 17 Registration Act 1908. If executed abroad, the SPA is executed before a Notary Public, apostilled under the Hague Apostille Convention 1961 for countries that are signatories (including USA, UK, Australia, Canada), or attested at the Indian Embassy / High Commission for non-signatory countries. On first use in India, the SPA is adjudicated by the Collector of Stamps for duty-differential and endorsed at the Sub-Registrar.
Hill Link will not accept a general SPA over your property. Hill Link may, at its discretion and subject to a separate written scope-of-authority, accept a narrowly-scoped SPA solely to admit registration of the Caretaker Agreement before the Sub-Registrar or to present a specific application before a named tehsil office — never to alienate, mortgage, lease, license, or otherwise dispose of the property or any interest in it. Any SPA in our favour is revocable by you at will.
Hill Link can guide you on the apostille / attestation process through your country of residence and handle the Indian-side adjudication and registration steps as part of our coordination service. The stamp duty, registration fee, and adjudication differential are Pass-Through Costs under Section 19.3.
For the Truth Report, Full Advisory, Complete Concierge, and all Ownership Report services, Hill Link acts as an independent advisor and service provider, not as your agent within the meaning of Sections 182–238 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, nor as your representative for the purposes of Sections 230 or 231 of the Contract Act. We negotiate no purchase on your behalf unless a separate, specifically-signed Agency Agreement is executed for that purpose; no such agency is implied from the scope of our services.
We receive no commission, kickback, finder's fee, or referral payment from any seller, builder, broker, contractor, advocate, surveyor, valuer, or lender in connection with your engagement. Our revenue is only your fee. Any disclosure of exceptions is in writing on the engagement letter.
Where Section 25.3 (narrow SPA to admit registration), Section 19 (pure-agent pass-through for disbursement), or a specific written engagement letter creates a limited agency for a defined act, that agency is strictly confined to the four corners of the written scope. Outside that scope, Section 26.1 applies.