​Two owners were convicted and fined $401,600 in total at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts yesterday (March 11) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).  

     The two cases involved four unauthorised structures with a total area of about 1 140 square metres on the roof of an industrial building on Sze Mei Street, Wong Tai Sin. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), removal orders were served on the two owners respectively under section 24(1) of the BO.  

     Failure to comply with the removal orders, the two owners were prosecuted by the BD four times and were fined a cumulative total of $417,845 and $432,545 respectively upon convictions by the court. As they persisted in not complying with the removal orders, they were prosecuted for the fifth time and each was fined $200,800, of which $70,800 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon convictions at the court.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (March 12), "UBWs 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, March 12, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:00

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