Source : The Straits Times, 13 Aug 2007
Amid all the stories on collective property sales readers of The Straits Times have come across, mine in Balmoral View has a twist.
The developer has moved in equipment to build a showflat even though seven units of this 22-unit condo are still occupied.
It means we cannot use the visitors’ carpark and the recreation areas, apart from having to tolerate the dirty swimming pool, noise and dust. In the meantime, we are still billed for monthly maintenance.
Yes, our condo was an early bird in the ‘en bloc wave’, and prices paid to unit owners were low compared to the current level. We accepted the deal, and the last unit must be vacated by November.
But what right has the developer to rush in before everyone moves out?
Some to-ing and fro-ing with Building and Construction Authority officials revealed that, although the deal was completed in May, the developer had already applied for and got the necessary approvals from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to build a showflat in February last year.
Did the URA check with the Strata Titles Board on the legality of such a move, given that there are residents who do not need to move out until November?
By mid-June, heavy construction equipment was moved in and the construction of the showflat is now in earnest. The recreation area has been cordoned off.
Also, I see obvious safety concerns with children playing in the compound, especially with wooden scaffolding less than a couple of metres from the swimming pool.
I understand the developer’s haste to catch the hot property market but this is at the expense of residents still living on the estate.
Can the authorities enlighten us on this unsatisfactory situation?
Chio Tan Seng
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment