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The Lands Department has proceeded with the re-entry of two units at Mai Kei Industrial Building on San Hop Lane in Tuen Mun in accordance with the lease and the Government Rights (Re-Entry and Vesting Remedies) Ordinance. It has sent the relevant re-entry documents to the Land Registry for registration, a spokesman for the department said today (February 17).
The two units are used for purposes other than industrial and/or godown purposes permitted under the lease, and hence are in violation of the lease conditions. The Department issued two warnings respectively to the owners of the units concerned in early February, requiring them to rectify the lease-breaching situation before the deadline. As the owners failed to rectify the situation before the deadline, the Department took further action in its capacity as landlord.
"We are very concerned about the cases of industrial units in the New Territories being used for retail purposes which are suspected to be associated with parallel trading activities. Such activities have breached the relevant leases, and the resulting flow of customers will also increase security risks at these buildings. Targeting such lease-breaching cases, our District Land Offices in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and North District have set up special operation teams to enhance enforcement actions," the spokesman said.
The operation teams have conducted inspections on over 2 000 units in the three districts from early February up to today. Warnings of 37 units being used for retail purposes have been issued. The operation teams will continue to follow up on such cases. Although some unit owners have rectified the breaches, the Department will conduct blitz operations and take prompt and decisive enforcement actions against repeated breaches.
Ends/Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:15
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