Nearly half of property owners with illegal structures at Hong Kong estate appeal against demolition orders

Nearly half of the owners of houses found to have illegal structures at a luxury Hong Kong estate have lodged appeals after authorities ordered them to demolish the unauthorised additions.

The Buildings Department said on Monday it had issued demolition orders to the owners of 68 homes at Redhill Peninsula in Tai Tam, which required them to remove the unauthorised structures at their own cost.

“Owners of 32 of these orders have filed appeals, which are currently being processed by the appeal adjudication panel,” a department spokesman said.

Most of the demolition orders are related to rooftop structures or basements.

Among those filing appeals are the owners of seaside houses No 74 and 76, some of the first sites where illegal structures were found after a rainstorm on September 7 triggered a landslide at the luxury estate and brought the case to light.

The owners of properties with slopes or building structures who receive a demolition order must appoint registered professionals to submit repair and architectural proposals to the Buildings Department for approval, before commencing repair works within 90 days of getting the order.