Residents of the Tai Po housing estate ravaged by last November’s deadly fire have received no answers at an owners’ meeting, as they face an imminent deadline to accept government buybacks of their units at Wang Fuk Court.
Residents gathered on Sunday for the first general meeting of flat owners after the massive blaze tore through their estate, killing 168 people and displacing thousands.
They had been calling for an owners’ meeting for months, but government-appointed estate administrators, Hop On Management, had cited difficulty in finding venues and verifying owners’ identity. Several residents deemed the meeting “pointless,” when speaking to reporters.
On Sunday, the long-awaited meeting was held at community centres in Tai Po, Tin Shui Wai, Kai Tak and Wah Kwai via live broadcast and lasted almost six hours. Hop On reported on matters including insurance, refunds and the estate’s finances.
‘Evaded all questions’
However, some residents were frustrated by a lack of answers and left the gathering midway.
A Wang Kin House resident surnamed Chan left roughly two hours after the meeting started, saying that Hop On had “evaded all questions” posed by residents.
He said residents had asked why they were not allowed to return to their homes even though they had not sold their property titles.
“Which law in Hong Kong says we cannot go home?” Chan said to reporters in Cantonese. “I am the owner of the flat as long as I have not sold it, right?”
During the meeting, Hop On said the matter fell outside of its remit and urged residents to contact government social workers instead.
Authorities have kept the entirety of Wang Fuk Court cordoned off since the blaze, citing safety concerns. The government has twice arranged for residents to return home to collect belongings, and has pledged more rounds in the future.
Next meeting in 2 months
During Sunday’s meeting, owners rejected an audit report prepared by Hop On, but supported the idea of holding a second meeting within two months.
Many, however, were worried that they might no longer be flat owners in two months as a government buyback offer will expire by the end of August.
Authorities have offered to buy back property titles from Wang Fuk Court owners by either a flat swap or cash payment. Residents have until the end of August to accept the offer.
Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong has said that authorities may consider legislation to acquire property titles of those who refuse to sell their flats.
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A Wang Tai House resident, who refused to give their name for fear of reprisals, said they had been “cornered” by the government’s plan.
The resident, who grew up in Wang Fuk Court, said they were given no choice but to accept the buyout.
With the deadline looming, details regarding Wang Fuk Court’s insurance policies with China Taiping Insurance (Hong Kong), including a HK$2 billion fire insurance, remain unclear.
Explainer: What to know about Wang Fuk Court insurance claims, payouts to flat owners
During Sunday’s meeting, a representative of China Taiping Insurance said insurance claims would need to wait until an independent committee investigating the blaze releases its findings, which are expected in late October.
Questions over how insurance claims would be handled if residents sold their flats remained unresolved on Sunday.
A Wang Chi House resident, who only gave her surname as Wong, said the deadline for the government’s buyback offer should be extended given the lack of clarity surrounding insurance.
“We are being asked to sell our flats, but we do not yet have any information regarding the compensation of each insurance policy,” she told reporters in Cantonese.
She urged Hop On to communicate with the government to extend the deadline for the buyback offers.
Despite the lack of information, Wong said she was happy to finally have a chance to deliberate with other Wang Fuk Court residents in person: “Although it seems that this meeting offers no answers, I see our neighbours. We can discuss matters,” she said.
