Five owners were convicted and fined $510,190 in total at the Magistrates' Courts on Tuesday (October 28) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
     
     The first case involved three unauthorised structures with a total area of about 75 square metres on a flat roof and rooftop of a residential building on San Lok Street, Sheung Shui. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), three removal orders were served on the two concerned owners under section 24(1) of the BO. Failure to comply with the removal orders, they were prosecuted by the BD and were fined $317,710 in total, of which $222,710 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts.
     
     The second case involved a three-storey unauthorised structure with an area of about 100 sq m at Sheung Wo Hang, Sha Tau Kok. Since the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the UBWs and they were also carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, a removal order was served on the two co-owners under section 24(1) of the BO. Failure to comply with the removal order, they were prosecuted by the BD and were fined $104,280 in total, of which $84,280 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts.
     
     The third case involved unauthorised alterations at the basement of an industrial building at Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, including erection of a structure at the entrance of a staircase, replacement of fire-resisting concrete block walls by glazed walls of an inadequate fire rating and removal of fire-resisting concrete block walls and fire-resisting doors at cold-storage godowns. The alteration works affected the fire-resisting construction of the building and contravened the Building (Construction) Regulation. A removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failure to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $88,200 in total, of which $53,200 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts.
     
     A spokesman for the BD said today (October 30), "UBWs, including unauthorised alterations affecting the fire-resisting construction of a building, may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."
     
     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

Ends/Thursday, October 30, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:00

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