The meeting lasted until early morning and 99% of the owners voted to terminate the contract and replace the management committee.
[The Epoch Times, March 14, 2024](Epoch Times reporter Chen Kai reported in Hong Kong) There has been significant progress in the dispute over the 100 million yuan repair of Lok Tsui Terrace in Chai Wan. The owner was dissatisfied with the undisclosed project contract and the high cost, and successfully submitted the application earlier. The Land Tribunal issued an order to convene a special owners’ meeting. The small owners attending the meeting were delayed from registering on the evening of the 12th until the early morning of the 13th when they voted. With more than 30,000 ownership shares, approximately 99%, the vote was immediately terminated. The project contract of the major maintenance contractor was suspended, and all members of the current building management committee were replaced. 11 people, including the chairman, were immediately elected to take over.
The owners of Le Cui Terrace voted since the early morning of the 13th, and finally approved the suspension of the project contract with more than 30,000 ownership shares. (Zhuo Xianggru/The Epoch Times)
Announcement at 11 p.m. will cause dissatisfaction
The 12-night meeting is divided into two parts: annual meeting and special owners meeting, held at 7:30 and 8:30 respectively. A large number of residents waited in a queue outside the North Point Neighborhood Association Chan Shu Tong Town Hall on the afternoon of the 12th. About 600 people attended, many of them elderly. A 91-year-old female owner who had arrived at the venue at around 4 p.m. criticized the corporation for poor arrangements and made herself wait for four hours. It was not until nearly 9 p.m. that the owners were finally arranged to register and enter the venue one after another.
In addition, barrister Cha Xiwo, who was the former Chief Investigation Director of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, arrived at the scene at 8 pm. It was reported that this was his second meeting on relevant matters and he was invited to provide legal advice, including the termination of major maintenance projects. Compensation issues and other aftermath matters, but residents at the scene questioned the rationale for their unincorporated lawyers to be present.
However, the meeting was postponed until 10 p.m. when someone took the stage to explain the consequences of terminating the maintenance contract. About an hour later, the chairman of the association, Qu Weizhong, announced the adjournment of the meeting, saying that the venue time limit had expired and the security guards needed to get off work. However, representatives from the Civil Affairs Office blocked the meeting, saying that the chairman had no authority to make unilateral decisions. Residents present decided to continue the meeting. The chairman and management committee members were escorted out by police officers and did not respond to media questions.
The corporation said it could apply for funding, but the URA responded that it was not eligible
The management committee of the 38-year-old Lok Tsui Terrace approved a major repair plan worth NT$107 million in June last year without receiving a mandatory building inspection order. However, the valuation was more than NT$30 million higher than that of the URA, that is, About 57%, each household had to pay NT$100,000. At that time, the corporation said it could apply for URA funding.
However, the bureau has written to the Corporation six times stating that the construction cost is too high, saying that their and the consultant’s cost estimates were only about NT$68 million and NT$85 million respectively. It also stated that the housing estate was less than 40 years old and was not eligible to apply. “Building Renewal Operation 2.0” funding, some owners questioned being misled into voting.
The relevant engineering company started erecting the shed in September last year. The next month, the management company that had served the housing estate for 38 years resigned, saying that the corporation failed to provide project information and the housing estate’s finances were insufficient to pay for the construction fee. Earlier, some owners collected signatures from 5% of the owners and requested that an owners meeting be held to overturn the result. However, the management committee failed to convene the request. In January this year, some owners filed a petition with the Land Tribunal and were issued an order to hold a meeting before March 14. ◇
Editor in charge: Chen Zhen
