TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1980
2
GOVERNMENT TO TAKE INTO DIRECT MANAGEMENT
LEASE EXPIRED PROPERTIES IN YAU MA TEI
******
A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES IN YAU MA TEI WHICH WERE HELD UNDER 75-YEAR NON-RENEWABLE LEASES WILL BE TAKEN INTO DIRECT MANAGEMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THE PROPERTIES AFFECTED ARE IN CHING PING STREET, TUNG KUN STREET, LEE TAT STREET, CHEUNG SHUI STREET, PUBLIC SQUARE STREET AND CANTON ROAD.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID. *THE DECISION MEANS THAT THE FORMER OWNERS' REQUEST FOR THE REGRANT OF THE EXPIRED LEASES IS NOT GRANTED.
THIS IS BECAUSE THESE PROPERTIES FORM A SITE WHICH IS ZONED FOR OPEN SPACE AND A SCHOOL WHICH WILL, IN DUE COURSE, BE DEVELOPED TO REDRESS THE PRESENT DEFICIENCY OF THE PROVISION OF THESE FACILITIES IN THE DISTRICT, HE SAID.
THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO TAKE THESE PROPERTIES INTO DIRECT MANAGEMENT FROM APRIL 1.
THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT NO OCCUPIERS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MOVE OUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
+NO IMMINENT FORCED EVICTION ACTION IS CONTEMPLATED,
HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO EMPHASISED THAT ALL GENUINE OCCUPIERS WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH PUBLIC HOUSING IN CASES WHERE BUILDINGS WERE REQUIRED TO BE DEMOLISHED FOR PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT IN DUE COURSE.
AND, FORMER OWNERS WILL BE PAID EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE FOR THE BUILDINGS AS SOON AS THE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO DIRECT MANAGEMENT.
ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO FULLY INFORM AFFECTED RESIDENTS IN THE AREA. LETTERS HAVE BEEN SENT TO OWNERS AND TENANTS, AND MEETINGS HAVE BEEN HELD TO EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHAT THE DIRECT MANAGEMENT ACTION INVOLVES.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED: +WHERE LEASE EXPIRED PROPERTIES ARE TAKEN INTO DIRECT MANAGEMENT ALL EXISTING TENANCIES BETWEEN THE FORMER OWNERS AND THE PRINCIPAL TENANTS WILL BE TAKEN OVER INITIALLY AT EXISTING RENTALS.+
+THESE WILL INCLUDE BOTH DOMESTIC AND BUSINESS PREMISES.+
+NEW TENANCY AGREEMENTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED WITH THOSE FORMER OWNERS WHO ARE ALSO OCCUPIERS UNTIL THE PROPERTIES ARE REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT, RENTAL WILL BE ASSESSED AT ROUGHLY THE SAME LEVEL AS OTHER EXISTING TENANCIES.+
+ IN CASES WHERE HARDSHIP IS CLAIMED BECAUSE OF INABILITY TO PAY RENTS, CLAIMS WILL BE REFERRED TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT FOR INVESTIGATION AND RECOMMENDATION, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.
HOWEVER, HE RE-EMPHASISED THAT THE PROPERTIES AFFECTED WERE ALL LEASE-EXPIRED, AND THAT EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE FOR THE BUILDING WOULD BE PAID.
13