Tuesday, October 2, 2007

High Court Allows Intervention By Two Parties In Appeal For Horizon Towers En Bloc Sale

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 01 October 2007

The appeal to allow the en bloc sale of Horizon Towers was finally heard in court on Monday.

It was postponed from last Friday, due to requests for intervention by two parties - potential buyers HPL Properties and the 13 owners who initiated the sale.

Their requests were approved by the judge on Monday.

With the approval, six lawyers are now officially on the appeal.

HPL Properties is represented by lawyer K Shanmugam while lawyer Andre Yeap is representing the 13 owners who initiated the collective sale.

Justice Choo Han Teck said he sees the intervention as 'just and convenient' and that the outcome of the appeal would affect HPL Properties, who is suing Horizon Towers for allegedly backing out of the collective sale.

The judge's decision was met with soft groans from the public gallery.

But the hearing continued, with lawyer Chelva Rajah arguing that the Strata Titles Board was wrong to reject Horizon Towers sale application over missing pages containing signatures of three consenting sellers.

Related Video Link - http://tinyurl.com/2y56kk
High Court allows intervention by two parties in appeal for Horizon Towers en bloc sale


He said the board knew of the error and had the power to allow amendments, but did not.

Lim Seng Hoo, chairman of the sales committee for Horizon Towers, said: "Our appeal should be allowed one way or another. We've not filed a defective application in the first place. Or, if there were any error at all, it should be very small that they should allow us to amend. It doesn't make sense that a few pieces of paper would result in a $800 million suit."

Both K Shanmugam and Andre Yeap, who rounded up the hearing, also argued in favour of overturning the decision by the Strata Titles Board.

But HPL Properties is asking the Court to direct Horizon Towers to make a fresh en bloc sales application instead, after the appeal goes through.

The hearing is likely to continue till Wednesday, and the judge is expected to make a decision within a week. - CNA/ir

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