Subsidised housing owners alerted to suspicious letters
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A spokesman for the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (February 26) reminded owners of flats sold under various subsidised housing schemes including Home Ownership Schemes and Tenants Purchase Schemes to be alert to suspicious letters.
Recently, the media reported that individual subsidised housing flat owners had received letters which suggested that they had obtained unlawful refinancing for their properties, contrary to the Housing Ordinance. The owners concerned were instructed to make a payment to a designated virtual currency account, or their cases would be reported to the relevant regulatory bodies and the banks.
The spokesman urged owners of flats sold under subsidised housing schemes to be on guard against such letters and not to make any such payments. If they have any doubts, they may contact the Police immediately.
The spokesman also took the opportunity to remind owners that under the Housing Ordinance, prior to the payment of premium, subsidised housing flat owners shall not mortgage, charge, assign or otherwise alienate their subsidised housing flat without prior approval from the Director of Housing, and such a transaction would also be void under Section 17B.
"Under Section 27A of the Housing Ordinance, entering into a void alienation under Section 17B is an offence and the offender is liable to a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for one year," he said, adding that the HA would take appropriate action to prosecute offenders whenever unauthorised alienation cases are discovered.
Ends/Monday, February 26, 2018
Issued at HKT 18:18
Issued at HKT 18:18
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