Shops illegally turned into warehouses in Chinatown Complex
31 July 2012 6:52 PM | Updated 1 August 2012 2:44 PM
Shop owners at Chinatown Complex have complained that the place has become a ghost town as shops are used as warehouses by vendors who then sell their wares elsewhere, reported Shin Min Daily.
When a reporter from the paper headed to the building, most of the shops had their shutters down and only a few were open for business. Shop owners revealed that all the shops have tenants, but some illegally use their shops as warehouses.
The 60-year-old owner of a tailor shop, known only as Madam Kuang, said to Shin Min Daily, “When we signed our leases, they stated clearly that our shops cannot be used as warehouses. However, a lot of people are exploiting the grey areas in our leases and using their shop space for storage.” Madam Kuang’s business has been at Chinatown Complex for 15 years.
Sources say that rent for commercial warehouses is not cheap, with most warehouses typically costing a few thousand dollars a month. However, the rent for shop spaces at Chinatown Complex is much less ― at only over $200 a month, with some shops going for as little as just over $100.
A 61-year-old owner of a clothes shop, known only as Madam Lin, pointed out to Shin Min Daily, seven units used as warehouses. According to her, some of the shop spaces are used as warehouses by vendors who have mobile stalls in Chinatown. Madam Lin has been selling clothes in the area for the last 31 years.
“The whole place is empty. No one is selling anything here and no one is coming here to buy things. Without the crowd, how do we do business?” she lamented to the Chinese daily.
A 49-year-old owner of another tailor shop, known only as Madam Lai, said that when all the shops were running, her business was twice as good. She opened her tailor shop in the building eight years ago.
When contacted by Shin Min Daily, a spokesperson from the National Environmental Agency (NEA) said that shops cannot be used as warehouses and that tenants who do this will have their leases taken away. Their shops spaces will then be provided to new tenants.
In addition, the spokesperson said that NEA has already sent out warning letters to these tenants, stating that action will be taken against them.
