5th November
HONG KONG
KONG BUILDING INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY DIARY
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING EVENTS
DURING NOVEMBER & DECEMBER, 1949.
The announcement was made of the decision of the Hong Kong Land Investment Co.. Ltd. to demolish the Alexandra and Chung Tin Buildings to make way for a modern edifice 13-storey high which will occupy an entire triangular block bounded by Chater Road, Ice House Street and Des Voeux Road. The architects for the new building will be Messrs. Spence, Robinson and Partners. Demolition work is to start as soon as Edinburgh House is completed.
13th November
The squatters occupying a large area in the Taikoktsui district in Kowloon were evacuated to temporary accommoda- tion in Kowloon Chai and Shek Kip Mi Villages and their huts demolished and the area cleared.
The Government Quartering Authority announced that twelve flats on K.I.L.1204 R.P., at the corner of Cameron and Carnarvon Roads, Kowloon, had been de-requisitioned and handed back to the owners. These flats were requisitioned for the Military on July 22.
16th November
A Singapore firm, Messrs. Gammon (Malaya) Ltd., has been given the contract for resurfacing a quarter of a million square yards of runway at Kai Tak. The plant for opening up a new quarry, including a stone-crusher, has been brought from Singapore and is being put into operation. Government had granted a site for the quarry near Kai Tak.
Five blocks of houses of four storeys each, costing $600,000, may be erected at Pei Ho Street, Shamshuipo District, follow- ing a recommendation to the Governor in Council for an exemption from the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance by the Tenancy Tribunal. The new houses, which-if built-will contain shop premises on the ground floor and residences on the upper floors, will be on the site occupied at present by 15 one-storey type shop premises, built 28 years ago.
18th November
A house on Lot, 796 in D.D. 131, near 21st milestone, Castle Peak, was de-requisitioned on Wednesday and handed back to the owner. This house was requisitioned for the Military on July 7.
Leave was granted the appellants in the Appeal Court yesterday to make application for a case stated to the Tenancy Tribunal which heard the original action. The appeal was against the decision of Mr. C. E. Loseby, sitting as a Tenancy Tribunal, in granting an application by Tang Hau-cho, of 425 Hennessy Road, second floor, for possession of the premises occupied by the Cheung Hing Company on the grounds that they had given the tenants notice to quit.
24th November
A new school is to be built in Bonham Road and the ruins of King's College will shortly disappear, it was announced yesterday. The cost of restoring the building to its former plan had been estimated at $3,500,000 and even then, owing to the fact that it was designed twenty-five years ago, it would be educationally inefficient by modern standards. The new school will accommodate approximately 900 children in two sessions of 450 each. One session will be un Anglo- Chinese School and the other a primary vernacular school.
28th November
An ex-parte claim for damages because a window had been built in a common wall, thus trespassing on his privacy. was brought by Li Shau-yee, of 29 Jervois Street, against Cheung Hok-bun, of 24 Mercer Street, before Mr. Justice Gould at the Supreme Court.
29th November
An area of Crown land, comprising about 20,000 sq. ft. close to Island Road, Stanley, and known as Inland Lot No. 641, was put up for auction at P.W.D. Headquarters yesterday afternoon and purchased by Mr. Ng Kum-shing of 128 Caine Road.
The remaining portion of Inland Lot 289, consisting of four houses known as 55, 57, 59 and 61, First Street, was put up for auction at De Sousa's Auction Rooms yesterday. The sale attracted nearly 40 persons and bidding was brisk. Divided into three sections, houses Nos. 55 and 57 were offered first. Bidding opened at $15,000 and the property was finally knocked down to the Dor Fook Co., Ltd., of 52 and 54, Wing Lok Street, for $37,000. The same company bought house No. 59, which was next to come under the hammer. First bid was $10,000 and the final bid $30,000.
5th December
An application for an eviction order before Mr. W. H. Latimer, sitting as a Tenancy Tribunal, was adjourned after Counsel for the applicants had offered to seek alternative land for the opponents. Mr. G. S. Ford, for Wong Yuk-ming, of Fa Hui Road, first floor, and Jackson Woo and Agnes Lo Wong, both of 269, Prince Edward Road, the applicants, revealed that the Crown Lands Office had offered another piece of land in exchange if the opponents were prepared to accept it.
45
7th December
Mr. Justice Gould, Puisne Judge, in the Supreme Court allowed an appeal brought by Wong Sze-nai (opponent) in respect of 44 Junction Road, first floor, Kowloon, against Hui Yung-sang (applicant). The appeal was from the decision of Mr. W. H. Latimer, sitting as a Tenancy Tribunal. His Lordship ordered that the case be remitted to the Tribunal for trial of the following issue. "Whether the sub-letting to Lam Pau-shau was with authority express or implied of the appellant or was otherwise binding upon her in law."
8th December
Holding that by accepting the sub-tenancy from the first defendant and by going into possession and paying rent, the plaintiff had clearly precluded himself from alleging that he was otherwise than a sub-tenant, the Chief Justice, Sir Leslie Gibson, in the Supreme Court, dismissed, with costs, an action brought by Woo Hang-kam, of Messrs. Woo and Woo, asking for certain declarations regarding the tenancy of Room 408 of the Bank of China Building. The defendants were Wings and Company and the executors of the estate of Foo Sik, deceased (who are the owners of the premises).
10th December
On the highest portion of the grounds of St. Stephen's College, Stanley, many students and guests assembled while the Rt. Rev. Hall, Bishop of Hongkong, laid the foundation stone of the new school Chapel which is to be built on the site of 1,500 square feet.
12th December
At the upset price of $60,000 ($2 per square foot), Messrs. A. S. Watson and Company, Ltd. purchased a rural building lot, off Deep Water Bay Road, at a public auction held at the offices of P.W.D. It was learned that the house will be the residence of the Manager of Watson's.
Judgment, with costs, was given in favour of plaintiff in an action for recovery of portions of the premises on I.L. Lot No. 3504, Marble Road, North Point, brought before Mr. Justice Gould, Puisne Judge, in the Supreme Court. An order for possession within three weeks was further made by his Lordship who also awarded mesne profits, amounting to not more than $1,000 to plaintiff. Plaintiff was Mrs, Chan Wai- chun, of 408 Jaffee Road and she was represented by Mr. Y. H. Chan of Messrs. T'so and Hodgson. Defendants were the Lee Fung Firm, sugar merchants, who occupied a portion of IL. Lot No. 3504, Marble Road, and Mr. J. M. d'Almada Remedios appeared on their behalf,
13th December
The question of whether a closure order granted by a Magistrate, by which the tenants of the landlord were evicted to enable certain repairs to be carried out to premises in which they had been living, was an effective termination to the tenancy was argued before the Senior Puisne Judge, Mr. Justice Williams, in the Supreme Court during the hearing of an action for possession. Mr. V. J. L. D'Alton (Counsel for the plaintiffs) subsequently withdrew the action. He agreed that no valid notice to quit had been given the defendants before the closure order, and in view of Section 3 of the Buildings Ordinance, 1935, he found it was not possible to go on with the matter. Judgment was accordingly entered for the defendants with costs. Plaintiffs were Chan Kwok-chi, Chan Shui-jim and Chan Man-pun, owners of 137 Queen's Road East, Wanchai.
15th December
The question of the ownership of the property purchased during the occupation was settled in the Supreme Court in an action brought by Yeung Shu-cheung and Yeung Lai-chiu, cousins, both of 43, Wing On Street, against Ng Lai-king, of 175, Portland Street. Hongkong's 105 years' old Ordinance No. 1, which concerns the registration of property ownership, was quoted when an action seeking a declaration of title to 23, Yiu Wa Street was heard before Mr. Justice Williams.
16th December
A claim for possession for part of the third floor of 27 Hau Wong Road, brought by Nim Hee, otherwise known as Nim Hee-tai, was refused by Mr. Justice Gould in the Supreme Court to-day. The Judge held that the defendant, Chu Tsang- ling, a mechanic of C.N.A.C., whom plaintiff alleged to be a trespasser, was a lawful tenant who rented the premises from an agent of the plaintiff and was therefore protected by the Landlord & Tenant Ordinance 1947.
Reporting an improvement in net profit at the annual meeting of Marsman Hongkong China Ltd., held at the Hong- kong Bank Building to-day, the Chairman, Mr. T, B. Wilson, said that the result was again adversely affected by their quarry operations at Morrison Hill. "We are working under contract with the P.W.D., and on account of unusually difficult conditions as well as P.W.D. contract rates which were set too low, our deliveries of stone to them have been done at a loss," he said. "We are in negotiation with the P.W.D. and trust that an increase of rates will be granted."