Friday 9 November 2007

Brief Hiatus

I'll be away for a conference and a much needed holiday in a country where they do not enbloc their buildings LOL. I'll try to update the site when I can - a much needed update is about the protocols for the 1st EOGM in light of the new regulations. There's been a lot of feedback from various estates about how confusing the new law is with regards to the first EOGM to elect the SC members (or rather, how vague the law is in procedural terms for the election!). I'll try to compile what other estates have done, were successful in achieving, and what some marketing agents and managing agents have tried to do (pull the wool over owners' eyes, capitalise on the ambiguities to push their agendas, utter confusion over what to do etc).

It's the Wild Wild West out there, ladies and gents. Be careful!

Oh, and I absolutely loved that article about Springwell Mansion in the New Paper (reproduced here) where the owners who were against the sale paid $60 to put up a banner on the gate saying "No to Enbloc". After all, if the marketing agents can put up massive posters/banners on the estate gates indicating the collective sale, why not minority owners?

Poll's ending soon. Any suggestions for possible polls? Hit me.

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

HI Dr. Minority,

YOu deserve a rest from all your commitment and dedication to this cause.

HOw about a poll to see how many years should be the minimum for any condo to be eligible for raiding? LIke you I am of the view that 10 years is ridiculous as a benchmark for any building to be pulled down!

Enjoy your break!

Anonymous said...

Well....bad news. The new law has not deterred anyone.

EGM has been scheduled in December for Faber Gardens.

Last round they collected 73%,but the new law forced them to start all over.

Let's see how things go this time.

Ocean Park Anti-enbloc said...

Ocean Park on East Coast Road is going enbloc. We, the minority group, are trying to get ourselves organised. Any owner who is interested to contact us please email:

oceanparkfriend@yahoo.com

Anyone who has experience to share, we woud love to have your advice.

Wish us luck in stopping Ocean Park from coming down!

Anonymous said...

Pray that it's a permanent hiatus, and not a brief one.AC

AWH said...

I have not visited this blog as I have been away; that there is still interest in en bloccing suggests to me that the recent legislation has not protected the rights of individual citizens. Especially the right to choose where to live in one's dotage.

It looks like even the majority don't have much say in where and when they rest their heads at night - their public estates are subject to upgrading and redevelopment.

Together with the emphasis on youth, older Singaporeans might well feel marginalised.

Comments in this blog touch on several aspects of the community and business that are uniquely Singapore, and which can only exist in here.

Anyone young and talented should experience living abroad; if you still think - after some years of true immersion into others' cultures - that this is a place to return to then do so.

Travel broadens the mind as long as you don't stick with people from home.

Anonymous said...

Hi Majulah and the rest.

Good to see that there are some people in this country with the take that the place we live is more than just a pawn for some developers and greedy home owners.

After having studied and lived in Australia for the past 7 years i find it appaling that people would want others to sell their homes just for the mere benefit of the majority and some money grabbing organisation. My aged parents bought our current home in district 12 a number of years ago with the purpose of having somewhere to retire after seeing my sibling and I off to university. But now, as minority owners, are being forced to sell their home, that they have so proudly renovated, lived in and maintained, find another home, relocate and shift everything that they own - at their age!

Anonymous said...

The amended LTSA deals with the "Form" of en blocs and NOT the "Substance".

With the left hand, MinLaw tightened the en bloc procedures. With the right hand, MinLaw relaxed the technical grounds for STB rulings. Voila! In this case, left hand knows very well what right hand is doing!

The Pariah has updated some tips on "What to do" and "What NOT to do" for future en bloc attempts under the new law at:

www.singaporeenbloc.blogspot.com

Work within the law but outside of the box, eh?

The Pariah with a glint in one eye!

Anonymous said...

One learning point from the Horizon Towers saga:

Even if you are a Majority Consenter, ensure that you RETAIN TRANSACTION CONTROL by relegating Sales Com to "facilitator" status in the Collective Sale Agreement (instead of giving the powers, rights and obligations of an "agent" to a committee of part-timers who are usually laypersons).

It may NOT be clear from the press reports on the Horizon Towers saga ...

BEFORE (not after) the Sales Com (SC) signed on the dotted line with HPL as the Developer-Buyer, 3 Maj Consenters alerted the SC that the set RP has become too low by this time. Each of these 3 persons testified in the witness box under oath that they asked the SC to re-confirm with the Maj Consenters as to whether to proceed with the offer. The two SC members who were also put in the witness box testified that DESPITE these 3 requests made PRIOR TO signing on the dotted line, the SC proceeded to commit to the HPL offer under their powers of "agency"!

I don't know about you ... but The Pariah is scared out of its wits by this "agency" stuff!

The Pariah quavering in trepidation from www.singaporeenbloc.blogspot.com