WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1981
6
UNOFFICIALS SUPPORT BILL
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FOUR OTHER UNOFFICIALS ALSO SPOKE DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) BILL.
THE REV. PATRICK MCGOVERN SAID HE SUPPORTED THE BILL CHIEFLY BECAUSE IT GIVE A GREATER ASSURANCE OF SECURITY OF TENURE TO SOME TENANTS.
HE SAID HE HAD CONSIDERABLE SYMPATHY FOR A LANDLORD, WHO FOR GOOD REASONS SUCH AS MARRIAGE OR RETIREMENT, WISHES TO REPOSSESS HIS PROPERTY FOR HIS OWN USE, AND FINDS HIMSELF UNABLE TO DO SO.
+ IF THE PROPOSED PROCESSING BY THE LANDS TRIBUNAL, RATHER THAN THE DISTRICT COURT, WORKS AS SIMPLY AS INEXPENSIVELY ND AS FAIRLY INTENDED, SUCH A GENUINE DEPRIVED LANDLORD HAS A BETTER MEANS OF REDRESS THAN BEFORE, HE SAID.
+FOR THE TENANT TOO, THE LESS EXPENSIVE LANDS TRIBUNAL SHOULD PROVIDE A SIMPLER AND LESS TIME CONSUMING PROCESS BY WHICH HE CAN GET A FAIR HEARING.+
HOWEVER, FR, MCGOVERN EXPRESSED RESERVATION OVE THE PROPOSED FIVE-YEAR FIXED TERM TENANCY WHICH HE SAID +MAY BECOME THE RULE THAN THE EXCEPTION AND THUS PROVIDE A MEANS BY WHICH ALL CONTROLLED TENANCIES MAY BE CHANGED INTO UNCONTROLLED ONES.+
SOME MIGHT SAY THIS IS A GOOD THING IN THAT IT WILL INDIRECTLY GET RID OF RENT CONTROL, HE SAID,
+1 DO NOT AGREE, NOR DO I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN IGNORE THE FACT THAT SOME LANDLORDS ARE STILL OF THE RAPACIOUS BREED.
+THAT SUCH PEOPLE STILL EXIST WOULD APPEAR TO BE BORNE OUT BY THE FACT THAT BETWEEN 1976 AND 1981, IN SPITE OF A PERIOD OF PARTIAL RENT CONTROL, AND A PERIOD OF BLANKET RENT CONTROL, RENTS, AS REFLECTED IN THIS YEAR'S ASSESSMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROPERTY TAX, INCREASED BY AS MUCH AS 300 TO 500 PER CENT FROM THE IR ALREADY VERY HIGH LEVELS.
+HOWEVER, I AM WILLING TO WAIT AND SEE HOW IT WORKS.
WHATEVER THE FUTURE MAY BRING IN THE WHOLE SAGA OF THE HOUSING PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG, FR MCGOVERN STRESSED THAT IT IS A GOOD THING TO ENCOURAGE HOME OWNERSHIP AND TO ENCOURAGE SMALL LANDLORDS TO POSSESS SOME PROPERTY AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
A ROOF OVER ONE'S HEAD IS A NECESSITY OF LIFE, HE POINTED OUT.
BUT HE WARNED +A LANDLORD OF ANY SORT, BE HE BIG OR SMALL, CANNOT EXPECT TO MAXIMISE HIS PROFITS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY IF BY DOING SO HE IS INJURING PEOPLE.
+PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROPERTY. PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROFITS.
+LANDLORD TOO ARE PEOPLE. BUT THEY MUST IN A CIVILIZED SOCIETY EXERCISE RESTRAINT IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
/+IF THEY DO