Why Higher Fees For Empty Flat?

Source : The Straits Times, Saturday, September 29, 2007

MY LATE grandfather, who was the sole owner and occupier of a three-room HDB flat, had been paying $38 a month in conservancy fees to the town council. His estate now has to pay $55 a month (a 45 per cent increase) for the vacant flat, the reason being that the $38 concessionary charge no longer applies as it is now unoccupied.

This explanation seems to be counter-intuitive: an unoccupied flat produces little or no detritus, compared to an occupied one.

As the flat cannot be sold or rented out during the period of extraction of the grant of probate, which takes about nine months at the earliest, this may cause undue difficulties for some estates which face a liquidity problem.

Maria Loh Mun Foong (Ms)