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In response to media enquiries on a report that a flat owner of Kam Fung Court, Sha Tin, which was sold under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) in 1995, has partitioned the property and let it out without paying a premium, a spokesman for the Housing Department today (August 28) issued the following statement:
Flats sold under the HOS since February 1982 are subject to the alienation restrictions under the Schedule to the Housing Ordinance. Owners must pay a premium to the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) before they can sell, let, assign, mortgage or otherwise alienate their flats in the open market; otherwise they will be in breach of the Housing Ordinance and are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for one year. Such alienation will also be void.
Furthermore, the Independent Checking Unit of the Housing Department, under the delegated authority from the Director of Buildings, will exercise building control under the Building Ordinance over properties sold by the HA under the HOS.
The Housing Department is looking into the case at Kam Fung Court and will take follow-up action as appropriate.
Ends/Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:15
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