XN000022-1993-01-10 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 1993

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HEAVY FINES FOR UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS

THE BUILDING AUTHORITY TODAY (SUNDAY) REITERATED THAT ANYONE WHO CARRIED OUT UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS MIGHT FACE HEFTY FINES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE (BOO) OF THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT SAID APART FROM PAYING THE FINES, THE OWNER WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE THE ILLEGAL STRUCTURES CONCERNED.

THE REMINDER FOLLOWED A RECENT COURT CASE IN WHICH A FLAT OWNER WAS CONVICTED TWICE AND FINED A TOTAL OF $22,560 FOR HAVING CARRIED OUT BUILDING WORKS WITHOUT AUTHORITY AND FAILED TWICE TO COMPLY WITH A REMOVAL ORDER.

THE DEFENDANT, MR KONG FUK-SHING, WAS FIRST CONVICTED AND FINED $6,360 IN MARCH LAST YEAR FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH AN ORDER TO REMOVE AN ILLEGAL STRUCTURE ERECTED ON THE FLAT-ROOF ADJOINING HIS FLAT IN HORSE SHOE LANE, KOWLOON.

AFTER

HE WAS TAKEN TO COURT AGAIN LAST MONTH AND WAS FINED $16,200 BOO STAFF FOUND THE ILLEGAL STRUCTURE HAD NOT YET BEEN

DEMOLISHED.

IN

THE CASE CAME TO LIGHT

JUNE 1991 WHEN BOO STAFF FOUND DURING AN INSPECTION THAT AN ILLEGAL STRUCTURE WAS BUILT ON THE FLAT-ROOF ADJOINING THE DEFENDANT'S FLAT ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF LAI YUE BUILDING AT 3 HORSE SHOE LANE, KOWLOON.

THE AREA

THE UNAUTHORISED BUILDING WORKS WAS A METAL COVERED BY CANVAS ON THE PARAPET WALLS. STRUCTURE WAS ABOUT 20 SQUARE METRES.

DEFENDANT STRUCTURE

A REMOVAL ORDER WAS ISSUED TO THE YEAR REQUIRING HIM TO REMOVE THE ILLEGAL THE REMOVAL ORDER EXPIRED ON NOVEMBER 18, 1991.

FRAME STRUCTURE COVERED BY THE

IN OCTOBER THAT WITHIN 27 DAYS.

THE DEFENDANT WAS CONVICTED ON MARCH 10 LAST YEAR AT THE KWUN TONG MAGISTRACY FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH THE REMOVAL ORDER AND WAS FINED $3,000 PLUS A DAILY FINE OF $30 FOR EACH OF THE 112 DAYS SINCE THE EXPIRY OF THE STATUTORY ORDER.

HE WAS TAKEN TO COURT AGAIN NINE MONTHS LATER WHEN BOO STAFF FOUND THE ILLEGAL STRUCTURE CONCERNED HAD NOT YET BEEN REMOVED. THE COURT HEARD THAT BOO STAFF INSPECTED THE BUILDING ON JUNE 17 AND SEPTEMBER 30 AND FOUND THAT THE REMOVAL ORDER HAD NOT YET BEEN COMPLIED WITH.

THIS TIME, HE WAS FINED $6,000 PLUS A DAILY FINE OF $50 FOR EACH OF THE 204 DAYS SINCE HIS LAST CONVICTION FOR THE OFFENCE.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID RECENT INSPECTION OF THE BUILDING REVEALED THAT WORKS HAD ALREADY BEEN STARTED TO DEMOLISH THE ILLEGAL STRUCTURE CONCERNED.

HE EMPHASISED THAT HAD SUCH REMOVAL WORKS NOT BEEN STARTED, ARRANGEMENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR ΤΟ CARRY OUT THE WORKS WITH THE COSTS TO BE RECOVERED FROM THE OWNER.

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