‘Obstinate’ Hong Kong building owners warned they will soon face legal action for failing to carry out required maintenance work
- Development chief Bernadette Linn fires latest warning shot a day after chunk of concrete fell off old building and hit a bus in Mong Kok
- She says Buildings Department will not wait until the end of this year to prosecute owners who ignore maintenance orders
Hong Kong’s development minister has warned that authorities will soon launch legal action against building owners who drag their feet on conducting compulsory maintenance work in light of recent incidents of falling concrete.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho fired the warning shot on Wednesday, a day after a chunk of concrete fell off a 57-year-old building and hit a bus in Mong Kok, the latest in a string of similar incidents in the city.
The government earlier said the Buildings Department would initiate prosecution proceedings against property owners who received maintenance orders but failed to deliver without a reasonable excuse by the end of the year.
“We hope to give owners a few months to follow up,” Linn said. “Of course, if some are obstinate or haven’t made an effort after repeated reminders … the department will not wait until the end of this year to prosecute them.”
Hours after Linn’s remarks, concrete chunks fell from a building in Yau Tong and hit two vehicles, breaking the rear window of one.
Owners of about 2,700 buildings aged 30 years or older have yet to comply with mandatory inspection orders on time, with 900 properties still to take the preliminary step of hiring a registered professional for a check-up.
Among the 900, 150 have taken part in repair subsidy schemes launched by the Urban Renewal Authority, a statutory body that tackles urban decay.
Linn said the Buildings Department would conduct risk assessments on the 900 and expected it would provide an update on their progress soon, adding that the administration would also look at ways to speed up maintenance work apart from strengthening enforcement.
“We hope to explore with the Urban Renewal Authority on speeding up subsidy assessment and tendering progress … as well as how the Buildings Department can accelerate follow-up with professional institutes, including how it can take up building inspection more quickly,” Linn said.
Currently, the department can carry out necessary inspection and repair works on buildings assessed to have higher risks, but it will collect an additional fee on top of construction costs from owners.
Linn stressed that owners should act responsibly on maintenance and warned that incidents of falling concrete could result in criminal and civil liability. They should not wait for the government to handle repairs, she added.
She also reminded residents to hire registered professionals for inspections as some politicians had initiated preliminary check-ups for old buildings after the incidents with concrete.
Contractors also had a responsibility to handle materials properly and ensure construction quality, Linn added.
Officials from the Buildings Department, Home Affairs Department and Urban Renewal Authority convened the first meeting on building maintenance on Wednesday after a new communication mechanism was set up under the Development Bureau.
Attendees discussed how to assist landlords with overdue maintenance orders to speed up inspection and repair works.
Reporting on Wednesday’s incident, local media said a car and a van travelling along Ka Wing Street in Yau Tong were hit by chunks of concrete at around noon, shattering the rear window of the car and denting the van’s roof.
Police said a 34-year-old man in charge of a nearby construction site had been arrested in connection with the incident.
On Tuesday, concrete fell off the scaffolding-clad Sun Hing Building in Mong Kok for the second time in 10 days. The concrete left a hole in the roof of a bus but no injuries were reported.
Police arrested a 47-year-old man in charge of an engineering company responsible for maintenance and decorating work at the building.
Separately, Linn said technology could help tackle challenges faced by the construction industry, including speeding up maintenance work and homebuilding, as well as high costs and an ageing working population.
Additional reporting by Sammy Heung
