A petition launched by homeowners of the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court housing estate lacked authentication mechanisms and may contain forged signatures, the government has said following residents’ complaints.
The Home Affairs Department said on Thursday that it received complaints from several Wang Fuk Court residents, who criticised the petition for not verifying the identities of signatories.
“Individual flat owners said the so-called petition lacked authentication mechanisms and may involve people impersonating owners and forging signatures. Personal information collected is also at risk of being abused or misused without authorisation,” the department said in a Chinese-language emailed reply.
The department said it has referred the matter to law enforcement agencies for investigation.
Demand rejected
The petition, launched last month, called for a formal owners’ meeting with the government-appointed estate administrator, Hop On Management.
As of Wednesday, it had been signed by 428 Wang Fuk Court flat owners – down from the previous tally of 431 after invalid signatures were found, the petition’s organisers told HKFP.
Residents are seeking clarity on unresolved issues, including future accommodation, the disbursement of public donations and insurance claims, and the management of remaining funds for the estate’s renovation and maintenance.
Hong Kong’s Building Management Ordinance stipulates that a management committee must convene a general meeting at the written request of at least five per cent of owners. Wang Fuk Court has a total of 1,984 units, and 430 valid signatories would exceed the required threshold.
However, Hop On, a subsidiary of real estate giant Chinachem Group, rejected the demand. In an emailed reply on Sunday, Hop On told a signatory that the petition did not meet the statutory requirement and that it would not hold a formal owners’ meeting at this stage.
“Following a detailed review and consultation with legal counsel, we note that… you had gathered owners’ concerns via an online form, but provided no further information,” Hop On said in the email, which was seen by HKFP.
‘Update session’
However, the government-appointed administrator is set to hold an in-person “update session” in early May regarding financial matters such as compensation and refunds, according to a notice issued on Saturday.
Hop On said the session would not overlap with the ongoing public inquiry into the fire or the scheduled dates for residents to return home to collect personal belongings. Details of the session will be announced later, it said.
Wang Fuk Court residents will be allowed to return to their fire-ravaged flats between April 20 and May 4 to retrieve personal items, the government announced earlier.
The blaze in November killed 168 people and displaced thousands – the worst fire in Hong Kong since 1948.
Hop On was chosen by the government in January to take over as the “administrator” of the estate after the owners’ corporation board was dissolved by the Lands Tribunal.
