Community topics
Written by: Zeng Fengting
2020-12-30 09:00
Last update date: 2020-12-30 09:00
The original intention of the Owners’ Corporation was to allow the owners of the housing estates to resolve the affairs of the housing estates on their own. The members were given the legal power to manage the facilities of the housing estates and had the responsibility of monitoring the management office.
However, in recent years, there have been frequent incidents of antagonism between the OC and the owners in Hong Kong. Some OCs have unsatisfactory handling of housing estate affairs, which makes the owners unacceptable. There are frequent conflicts between the two parties, and some even have to go to court.
In the face of a corporation that has been entrenched in housing estates for many years but has failed to act, the small owners have tried every means to change the status quo. In recent years, housing estate "concern groups" have appeared from time to time. Small owners have united and spent a lot of time and energy on "fighting elections." The purpose of holding a meeting to overthrow the incompetent corporation is to maintain the normal operation of all affairs of the housing estate and the transparency of the accounts.
In the social atmosphere of political uncertainty, many small business owners cherish their votes and hope that through fair and equitable elections, they can elect housing estate deputies who can represent the voice of the residents and protect their rights and their places of residence.
Lung Poon Court in Diamond Hill can be regarded as the "most successful" example of the re-election of the corporation. The new corporation successfully kicked out the 19-year old corporation at the special meeting of owners on the 28th of last month. There were also many outer districts on the day of the conference. Members of the attention group were present to borrow the mirror.
Recall that before the overthrow of the old corporation, Lung Poon Court was a disaster-prone housing estate. The most well-known one was a defamation lawsuit involving more than one million dollars. When the district councillor Tan Xiangwen sued the old corporation for defamation and proposed a "one dollar settlement." However, the old corporation firmly refused to accept the proposal, and eventually the small owners had to share a huge sum of money.
After the incident, the owners of Lung Poon Court began to pay attention to the affairs of the housing estate, and the problems of the old corporations gradually surfaced.
Timetable of the former Lung Poon Court Corporation’s rejection of the “One Mosquito Reconciliation” plan
Before the current corporation plans to overthrow the old corporation, it has done a lot of "homework" for this.
In the process of hitting the epidemic, the road to re-election can be described as difficult, but the members of the neighborhood association at that time overcome the difficulties one by one, and finally Longpan Court can successfully complete the re-election without any conflicts on the day of the special owners’ meeting. Examples of housing estates that can successfully hold conferences.
Old things in the housing estate will be repeatedly blocked
Edmond, the second generation of Longpanyuan Village and the convener of the neighborhood club (the predecessor of the new corporation), recalled that the reason for the hope of overthrowing the corporation was simple.
Before the epidemic, in December of last year, a group of neighborhoods used the public space in the housing estate to hold a relics fair.
However, the old property association was obstructed by security, saying that they had violated the law in organizing activities there, and that they had to apply in advance. The corporation claimed that someone complained that the old property would obstruct the street.
The residents checked the relevant regulations and determined that the owners could use the public space of the housing estate under sufficient fire exits. Therefore, they questioned the security claims.
"At that time, the security said that we violated the law, and asked the side of the drainage regulations and then answered. If you want to apply, but there is no application form, I just went to apply and said why."
After that, whenever they held a relics meeting, the security guards would stop them with the same statement nearby, and pointed out that the area needed to be washed and asked them to remove the items.
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The Longpan Court Incorporated Defendant has repeatedly rejected a mosquito reconciliation plan for defamation, and small owners pay nearly 2.7 million bills
Volunteers count as the most in history
Edmond pointed out that through the Old Property Association, there has been more exchanges between the neighborhoods, and many existing problems in housing estates have been discovered.
"It turns out that when this happened, I got to the OC." A group of neighbours wrote to the OC on the housing estate issue many times, but they did not get a reply.
So Edmond and a group of passionate neighbours began to form teams to elect the corporation in an attempt to change the situation.
The composition of the team is not an easy task. "Although everyone thinks that the old corporation is useless, they all know that if an election is made, the responsibility is as big as doing multiple jobs and no money." So at first there were only 4 The owner is willing to choose.
In the end, the team used the slogan "everyone is a stakeholder", advocating that as long as you live in a housing estate, whether you are the owner, the second generation of the owner or the tenant, you can speak out. "Although the OC has 14 members, In fact, everyone understands that 14 people do not do anything at all, so they will spread the workload and do it together."
As soon as the concept was put forward, more owners responded, "First know that everyone wanted to do it, but I was afraid that there would be powerlessness."
The new team "Longpan Youli" was formally established and is composed of professionals from different fields, each performing its own duties.
Among them, many neighbourhoods volunteered to become team volunteers, and the number of neighbourhood volunteers on the day of the Lung Poon Court re-election meeting was the highest in history.
In addition to the 14 members who participated in the election, the volunteer team of "Longpan Youli" also has more than 30 volunteers.
(Interviewee provides pictures)
Distributing supplies under the epidemic to make neighbours know the team
After the team is formed, the most important thing is to let other neighborhoods recognize themselves.
Although the epidemic was hit before the convening of the conference, it was difficult to convene a conference in the middle, and they did not relax.
Under the epidemic situation, the spirit of mutual assistance of the neighbourhood became even more valuable, so the team began to contact the neighbourhood to buy epidemic prevention supplies.
"At the beginning of February, everyone rushed to bleach. We have a neighborhood engaged in the catering industry. We know that there is no bleach to buy in the market, but there are no bottles to distribute."
The team then bought 20 large bottles of bleach for business use and asked the neighborhood to prepare their own bottles and distribute them.
Through these things, the team expressed to the neighborhood their determination to do practical things in the housing estate.
Housing estate affairs are riddled with holes to make neighbours more united
Later, a defamation case and the old corporation’s rejection of the "One Mosquito Reconciliation" plan eventually required small owners to pay more than one million yuan, and the housing estate’s water conservancy and lift equipment frequently failed. Residents even reported that the lifts had been in existence for 30 years. The lack of replacement and other incidents have made the neighbours pay more attention to housing estate affairs and will actively discuss them on social media, and the neighbours will unite over time.
The corporation has been rescheduled repeatedly on the grounds of the epidemic
When the definite date for the conference was reached, the team had set up more than 40 Tianjie stations near the housing estate in a constant storm, in order to make residents concerned about the incident.
However, the OC at the time used the epidemic as an excuse to delay the meeting until it was successfully held after rescheduling twice.
"After receiving the signatures of 5% of the owners, the corporation has been using a gathering restriction order to extend the extension, so I can't open the meeting to live in."
Residents are heartbroken by a group of caring people. Because the meeting has been postponed repeatedly, they often set up a street station in front of the housing estate. "As soon as a neighborhood receives a notice and knows that the meeting is postponed again, they will stop worrying about us. See me on weekdays. Every day, every conversation can temporarily replace me, tell me to go to a toilet, and have a meal. It’s good if I have a neighborhood, I can cook red bean paste, and I can pack it together, so I can take care of it.”
As a result, some neighbourhoods became team volunteers, explaining housing estate matters to other neighbourhoods, and at the same time they knew better about housing estate matters.
After the team members and volunteers announced the date of the meeting, the wind and rain remained at the street station in front of the estate.
(Photo by Zeng Fengting)
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The former Lung Poon Court corporation refused to open the meeting twice and finally succeeded under pressure from the Civil Affairs Department: excited
The team found out that the conference was an exempt group
In the face of the corporation's use of the epidemic as a tactic of dragging words, the team saw the tricks when they saw it. "It is better to ask the relevant government departments. Because of the restrictions on gatherings, the team does not have a meeting."
Then they wrote to the government department and received a reply that the conference is actually an exempt group, and it can be held as long as certain conditions are met, such as less than 20 people in each compartment and no food or drinks during the conference.
"We made it public after we received the official letter from the government to reduce misunderstandings among residents. We also began to do our homework for the meeting to be held first."
At the same time, the team questioned the corporation with an official letter, so that the corporation can no longer use the epidemic and the restriction order as a shield. The convening of the conference seems to be imperative, but has the team's preparations been completed?
Use other housing estate concern groups as friends to exchange meetings
Edmond and other members of the team then began to contact other housing estate concern groups to discuss how to avoid emergencies at the meeting.
"Before I held a meeting in the housing estate, I went to a few different housing estates and went to the meeting point to see how people operate. It's difficult, because everyone doesn't know me, and they don't have to help me." In Edmond, insisted. With unremitting efforts, the concern groups of several housing estates are finally willing to authorize them to enter the venue to observe the meeting.
The team used to learn from other housing estate teams before meeting in the housing estate.
(Photo by Zeng Fengting)
"The social atmosphere generally makes people feel that we have to vote for our own rights. We may not even know the chairman of the corporation before."
Edmond, the second generation of Longpanyuan Village and the convener of the neighborhood meeting
Advocating political neutrality and serving the neighborhood as its own duty
On the day of the housing estate meeting, he also invited other concern groups to assist in monitoring the scene.
"Everyone has always understood 344 (Building Management Regulations), and if there is something to do, I will help on the spot and support us at the same time."
In the end, the meeting was won by "Longpan Youli" with high votes, and the process went smoothly without any obstruction.
I was asked whether the district councillors would have a special role in overthrowing the old corporation.
Edmond pointed out that one of their claims is political neutrality.
"It's okay because we have different political opinions from other neighborhoods, so we don't have any anti-epidemic supplies."
Edmond said: "Last year there was a regional election. This year the Legislative Council election was cancelled. In addition to the general social atmosphere, it is generally felt that we have to vote for our own rights. We may not even know the chairman of the corporation."
He believes that this is also the main reason why citizens are more concerned about the issue of corporations.
(Photo by Zeng Fengting)
Edmond observed that the owners of more housing estates this year took the initiative to care about the issue of corporations. He believes that the social atmosphere is a major cause.
"I experienced district elections last year and this year's legislative council elections were cancelled. In addition to the general social atmosphere, it is felt that we have to vote for our own rights. We may not even know the chairman of the corporation."
In addition, in the past one or two years, the defamation case of Lung Poon Court has increased public attention. In the end, 40% of the owners attended the meeting.
"In the past, it was 20%. Most of Zhongyao is a power of attorney. This time, people who attended in person accounted for the majority." He believes that the awakening of the residents is very important, because one person can do very limited things, but they are divided into different teams to do the same. It will be different, and more things will be done.
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