Hong Kong residents express fears over flat’s illegal modification while government demands swift action from owner
- Director of Buildings Clarice Yu says flat owner, designer and construction company may be held responsible
- Residents across The Capitol in Lohas Park sign petition demanding follow-up actions from government and complex management
Residents of a Hong Kong complex have expressed fears for their safety and that home prices will plummet after illegal modifications to a load-bearing wall were found in a flat, while the government on Tuesday demanded the owner take swift action to rectify it.
At the centre of the issue was the renovation of a flat in The Capitol in Lohas Park, a private housing complex in Tseung Kwan O. The Buildings Department confirmed the removal of a 72cm-by-215cm (28-by-85 inches) section of a 20cm-thick structural wall between the living room and a bedroom to install a door was unauthorised.
Director of Buildings Clarice Yu Po-mei on Tuesday said a preliminary assessment and on-site observation of flats nearby showed the removed part accounted for 6 per cent of the load-bearing wall and 1 per cent of that of the whole floor, adding that there was no risk to the overall building structure.
“The department is investigating the incident. The flat owner, the designer in charge of the renovation and the construction contractor may be held responsible,” Yu said.
She added that the department would approve a restoration proposal by the parties “within days”, adding the owner had to start construction within 15 days and it had to be completed within 30 days.
Yu stressed that any structural works could only be carried out after obtaining the department’s approval but conceded the government would only know about illegal modifications if a complaint was laid because it had to balance privacy protection involving individual premises.
“[We intend to] enhance our public education and publicity work,” Yu said.
She said the government would work with stakeholders and organise public briefings and courses.
Banks, including HSBC, Hang Seng Bank and Standard Chartered, on Tuesday refrained from assessing the value of the flat involved, while the Bank of China estimated the property price at HK$8.4 million (US$1.1 million).
Earlier, Joseph Cheung Chi-tung, former chairman of the owners’ subcommittee of The Capitol, told a radio show on Tuesday that residents had signed an online petition demanding follow-up actions from the government and MTR Corporation, which manages the complex.
In a Facebook group for Lohas Park residents, one post lamenting a possible drop in house prices attracted 70 comments echoing the sentiment.
“When this Block Six gets rented out or sold, the fact is that prices will be pushed down. It’s a matter of how much,” one user commented on a Facebook group for Lohas Park residents, referring to the building involved.
Others were more concerned about safety.
The user was referring to Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which caused warning signal No 10 to be raised for 10 hours when it hit the city in 2018. It was the most powerful since records began in 1946. A block in The Capitol was seen swaying at the height of the typhoon, and a glass window was smashed.
Leo Cheung Sing-din, an adjunct associate professor in real estate at the University of Hong Kong, said the impact on the prices of the modified flat would be small, while other homes in the building would not be affected because the structural safety had not been harmed.
“The discount might be bigger now as there are concerns around the flat now, but once the flat has been reinstated and obtains approval [from the Buildings Department], it would be the same as any other flat. Why would there be a discount then?” Cheung said.
The real estate professor estimated that rectifying the modified wall would cost about HK$200,000 to HK$300,000, while a possible discount could be 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the current market value, going down to 1 per cent or 2 per cent in two years.
Sammy Po Siu-ming, CEO of Midland Realty’s residential division for Hong Kong and Macau, said the wall modification incident was an individual case that should not affect the prices of flats in Lohas Park.
However, Po said the value of the flat concerned would dip because many people knew about the modification. While the exact loss would depend on market conditions at the time of sale, the real estate professional said, there would be a “psychological impact” among future buyers.
“If you could choose, why would you choose a flat that had part of its load-bearing wall removed?” Po said.
Vincent Ho Kui-yip, building policy panel chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, said separately on Tuesday that the owner of the modified flat was most likely to be ordered to reinstate the load-bearing wall to its original state.
“Since no structural assessment had been carried out before the modifications, you don’t know anything about [its condition]. The easiest way to resolve the issue is to reinstate the original design and purpose of the wall. That would be the safest option,” Ho explained.
He said the restoration was not technically complicated. The Buildings Department would scrutinise the proposal, which should be well designed and executed by authorised contractors.
“The chance of having obvious problems after the restoration is slim,” Ho said.
The surveyor estimated that the whole process could take a month.
Christine Fong Kwok-shan, a Sai Kung district councillor, said interior design companies ought to hire engineers to ensure safety.
“Since some of these interior design companies and construction firms don’t have a licenced professional on staff, I think education needs to be ramped up in this area. These firms should hire engineers to prevent incidents like this from happening,” Fong said.
