HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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in discussing this with the Director of Information Services, you could keep me fully informed. Could I have your assurance that that will be done, Sir?
CHAIRMAN: Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Thank you.
(2) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
The January 1967 Resettlement Situation Report stated that of the 19 tenancies terminated on account of rent in arrears, seven families had to be evicted:
(a) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement advise whether some or all of these families evicted were unable to pay rent due to destitution or unemployment of the bread-winner in the family, or for any other hardship?
(b) Were any of these seven cases referred to a Welfare Agency for investigation and possible assistance?
MR. LI YIU-BOR, Chairman of the Resettlement Management Select Committee, replied as follows:
I confirm that, during the month of January 1967, notices terminating their tenancies were served on nineteen tenants who were in arrears with their rent payments, and in seven of these cases eviction notices followed. Another seven of the nineteen tenancies were subsequently reinstated on payment of the arrears. In the remaining 12 cases, including the 7 shown in the monthly situation report as having been "evicted", the occupants of the rooms had departed of their own accord. In two instances the families left some possessions in the rooms and the estate staff took these into custody pending a claim. Since the seven households described as having been evicted had already departed, and there was no expulsion of people from the rooms, it would be more accurate to say that the Resettlement Department "recovered possession" of these rooms. I understand from the Commissioner for Resettlement that he proposes to alter the wording of future reports in this particular sense.
When a tenant is in arrears with his rent, he receives a preliminary warning letter, followed by a final warning letter, and then a letter terminating his tenancy. If, at this stage, the arrears are paid up, then the tenancy is reinstated.
Only if the letter terminating the tenancy has no effect does eviction or recovery of the room occur. Each month, a few families leave the estates of their own accord. When such removals occur, the rent falls into arrears, and the process of warning letters, termination of tenancy, and recovery of possession of the room then follows. It must be presumed that the people concerned have found alternative accommodation which they prefer.
The financial circumstances of the seven households whose rooms were recovered are not known, and none of them were referred to welfare agencies for assistance since they had already left the estates before inquiries could be made. But it is normal practice where tenants fall into arrears with their rent and are still living in their rooms, to enquire whether there is hardship involved and, in appropriate cases, to refer them to the Social Welfare Department or a welfare agency for assistance.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, can the Commissioner for Resettlement confirm that in the case of the seven families who departed of their own accord, no eviction notices were given?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: No, I am not sure that I can confirm that Mr. Chairman. I think quite probably in such cases an eviction notice would actually be posted on the door of the empty room before entry was finally made.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Would it be possible for this procedure to be reviewed by the Commissioner, since it would seem desirable that the fullest possible use be made of all our empty rooms? We would not like to see any of our rooms vacant for too long. Could the Commissioner also say what happens to the belongings of people who have departed without notifying the Department. How long are these possessions kept and what is the procedure for disposing of them?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: They are stored in a lock-up store room in the Estate Office and a notice is posted inviting claims. I cannot recall whether there is a statutory period which must be observed before the items can be disposed of. I can verify that and inform Mr. CHEONG-LEEN later.
As regards the first supplementary question, I understand that MR. CHEONG-LEEN'S point was that where families decamp into the night, as it were, we should recover the room rather more quickly than we are doing at present. There is a danger there, I suggest, Mr. Chairman, that the family may be away visiting relatives somewhere, and it could be very embarrassing if they returned from Yuen Long, or Canton or...
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