GE Fuel & Ammo for the Opposition - Post your contributions here.

[scroobal]

This is a reply to Robert Ho's enquiry. Note the 2nd para below

If the common areas, car park including the lifts, common corridors, water tanks etc are not owned by the flat lessees, then why the hell is a HDB flat so fucking expensive.

If one was to knock down a house in Upper Coast Road and build an exact replica of a 4 ROOM HDB FLAT on that land, the cost will not even come close bearing in mind that are no economies of scale.

To be fair, lets factor the land tenure cost. It will still not come close. HDB after 40 years still can't explain

Seems to me, infrastructure costs applies when they sell you the flat but not when they provide arguements for enbloc.


ENQUIRY ON EN BLOC SALE FOR HDB BLOCKS


We refer to your e-mail of 25 May 2007.


Unlike owners of private residential properties, HDB flat lessees do not own the land on which their flats are built, the car park and common areas. Hence, they are not in a position to conduct an en bloc sale. Moreover, they are not allowed under the Housing & Development Act to sell their flats to a body corporate.

HDB sold flats identified for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) are acquired under the Land Acquisition Act. SERS is part of the Government's Estates Renewal Strategy to rejuvenate old estates and improve the living environment of the residents there. In addition to market compensation for the existing flats, it offers the residents involved a unique opportunity to upgrade to new and better flats nearby at subsidised prices. The residents can thus remain close to their familiar surroundings and preserve the strong community ties built over the years.

For more information on the benefits of SERS, please refer to our infoWEB at www.hdb.gov.sg or the SERS information package given to your mother-in-law when her flat was announced for SERS in Feb 2003.


Yours sincerely
[signed]

LAU KIM HUANG (MS)
SENIOR EXECUTIVE ESTATES OFFICER
EN BLOC REDEVELOPMENT UNIT
PROJECTS & DEVELOPMENT SECTION
ESTATE ADMIN & PROPERTY DEPARTMENT

 

[SIFU]

u wanna collect info for your PAP masters is it

dun be lazy; go do your own homework.. shoo

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

It basically means that HDB has the monopoly to enbloc HDB flats and earn most of the profits from the process while HDB owners, though paid high prices for their hdb flats under "home ownership" but yet, technically speaking, they are just a leaser that needs to pay the property tax (on behalf of the real owner HDB?)! They are not entitled to earn the potential profits of enbloc on their own.

If I am not wrong, the cost of building the flats includes the building of the carparks and such, the areas that surrounds the flats. The bidding process of construction contracts of HDB projects include all that and the cost of such infrastructure is included in the building cost of each individual flats. But yet, HDB now is claiming that they do not own these things although such cost are factored in and born by the flat owners!

Interesting isn't it?

Goh Meng Seng

 

[scroobal]

Exactly. They want to have their cake and eat it.

Note the HUDC owners were allowed to enbloc after paying land cost. As you probably know, HUDC was originally built for Mid level Civil Servants/GLC staff . GCT bought a unit in Laguna when he was with NOL. They were given priority at booking.

Double standards.

If I am not wrong, the cost of building the flats includes the building of the carparks and such, the areas that surrounds the flats. The bidding process of construction contracts of HDB projects include all that and the cost of such infrastructure is included in the building cost of each individual flats. But yet, HDB now is claiming that they do not own these things although such cost are factored in and born by the flat owners!

 

[Char_Azn]

I think the first thing the opposition needs to do is stop giving PAP ammo first. That means locking Chee in a room and throwing away the key.

Low and Chiam see to be doing a good job of not letting PAP shoot them. Careful planning before you try to make a point is the key