The administrator of the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court has said it will seek to extend the statutory deadline for holding a homeowners’ meeting, citing the need for more time to verify owners’ signatures and find a suitable venue.
In a letter to Wang Fuk Court flat owners on Wednesday afternoon, Hop On Management confirmed that on April 29, the company had received a requisition for a general meeting from Wang Fuk Court homeowners.
The company is currently seeking legal advice and will also apply to the Lands Tribunal to extend the statutory deadline for holding the meeting, it added.
The Chinese-language letter was issued exactly one week after a group of homeowners published a statement, saying that they had delivered a petition to Hop On on April 29, requesting a general meeting with the property management firm.
The petition collected 247 handwritten signatures – more than 12 per cent of households at Wang Fuk Court.
Hong Kong’s Building Management Ordinance requires 5 per cent of all homeowners to call a general meeting. Upon receiving such a requisition, the management committee should issue notice of the meeting within 14 days and hold the general meeting with owners within 45 days, according to the ordinance.
Wednesday was the deadline to issue a notice for the homeowners’ meeting. It is unclear whether Hop On has made an application for an extension.
In the letter, the management company also said it would need extra time to verify the signatures of each homeowner, citing previous owners’ meetings that were embroiled in controversies about proxy votes and statutory quorums.
Hop On will conduct searches at the Land Registry to verify the owner of each unit, compare their signatures against the samples kept in the owners’ existing property records, and request signatories to present their Hong Kong identity cards in person to verify their identities.
If the requisition is signed in the capacity of an Administrator of Estate or an Executor, Hop On will review copies of the relevant Letters of Administration or Grant of Probate to verify the legal authorisation to act on behalf of the deceased owner.
The company said it would also need time to find “a suitable venue capable of accommodating at least 1,000 people and of hosting a continuous six-hour meeting.”
Speaking to HKFP on the condition of anonymity, a Wang Fuk Court homeowner who signed the petition accused Hop On of working too slowly and unprofessionally.
He also questioned why Hop On did not announce the decision to delay the meeting and the procedures to verify the signatures during the Zoom briefing session on Tuesday.
“Today is the deadline [for issuing notice of a meeting]. Why didn’t they talk with us about this yesterday?” he said. “I think Hop On should understand more about its role – it is a management company to serve homeowners.”
‘Sincere communication’
Hop On Management was appointed by the government in early January to act as administrator of Wang Fuk Court after the Lands Tribunal dissolved the owners’ board of the Tai Po residential estate in the wake of the deadly fire.
The company, a subsidiary of real estate giant Chinachem Group, said its work as administrator is pro bono.
Hop On also said on Wednesday that it would maintain “sincere communication” with homeowners.
“As the administrator, Hop On’s responsibility is to represent and serve all owners of Wang Fuk Court, rather than communicating only with a portion of owners or specific individuals,” the company said.
Displaced homeowners, who are scattered across Hong Kong following the deadly fire, have urged Hop On to call a general meeting, but to no avail.
Earlier this year, the company rejected the demand to hold a meeting after more than 430 homeowners signed an online petition.
After being criticised for lacking direct communication with the residents, Hop On set up a website to facilitate communication in early February.
