Man Kena Screwed By NEA & PUB

[makapaaa]

<TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">SGNEWSALTE <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Dec-11 10:50 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>3768.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>While a 71-year-old man was in Malaysia, NEA officers broke his flat and damaged his water storage tank leading to water leakage. His utility bills then shot up to $1200, up from the $20 he usually pays. NEA now deny responsibility and this poor bloke is now saddled with this debt. He said he had approaches his MP, but there is no report on whether it did any help. Take note, now even NEA officers can just break into your house if you are not around. I will not be surprise if the MP answer to the man was: 'SORRY, YOU DIE YOUR BUSINESS!"
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20081212-107298.html
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext height=7>>> ASIAONE / NEWS / ASIAONE NEWS / SINGAPORE / STORY </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- start story details --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=560 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=7>

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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=200></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><!-- TITLE : start -->Man cries foul over $1200 utilities bill <!-- TITLE : end--></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3 height=15>

</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Story With Image End --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->Mr Chen Guowei had gone to Malaysia for a month between June and July to visit some friends. On July 30, the 71-year-old man returned to his one-room flat in Block 170 at Toa Payoh Lorong 1, only to find himself locked out of his house.
Initially shocked when he found a new lock on his front gate, he regained his composure when he read the notice that was pasted on his front door.
While he was away, officers from the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources had paid repeated visits to his flat in order to check for possible breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito. As Mr Chen was away, they could not enter the house to conduct their inspection.
After getting authorisation, the officers finally entered Mr Chen's flat on June 26 to check his premises. The officers were acting in accordance with regulations by taking action to prevent the possible spread of dengue in the area.

In the notice, the authorities requested Mr Chen to collect the keys to the lock from them upon his return.
Another shock
Mr Chen received a second shock a month later when he received his water and electricity bill.
Instead of the regular $20 bill he usually paid, the bill for the month of August came up to more than $1200.
Mr Chen told Shin Min Daily News that he suspected the officers had accidentally broken the water storage tank in his home during their inspection, causing water to leak from it.
Water leakage
On the same day that Mr Chen returned from his overseas trip, he also found a notice from the Public Utilities Board (PUB) informing him that the water usage for his apartment was many times higher than usual.
PUB officers had visited his flat to shut off the main water supply and left him the notice, asking him to check if his pipes were leaking.
After turning on the water supply, Mr Tan found a big leak in his toilet and he called the Housing Development Board (HDB) to check.
It was then that HDB found that his water storage tank was leaking.
Response from authorities
Mr Chen said that he had already sent his complaints to the PUB and the Member of Parliament (MP) for his constituency.
He told Shin Min: "I have complained to the authorities several times, but they insist that they have nothing to do with it."
He added: "I wasn't the one who caused the leakage, why should I be the one to foot the bill?"
When Shin Min approached PUB, its spokesperson said officers were investigating the matter and they would take the necessary steps to tackle the issue once they had reached a conclusion.
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[scoobyhoo]

the old man himself is to be blamed. who ask him for not being rich?

 

[cheongsimon]

Thats right. $1200 is peanuts, why make so much noise.

 

[VIBGYOR]

send the bill to NEA! ask them to pay it!!

dun pay, unload a tonne of water into NEA Head Office...

 

[singveld]

gov only help each other to extract money from sinkies

the complaint will be denied for sure.

 

[metalslug]

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,186561,00.html?

SENIOR CITIZEN'S $1,200 WATER BILL SHOCK
He refuses to pay, faces cut-off of water supply
By Amanda Yong and Lediati Tan

December 13, 2008

SHOCKED: Mr Francis Tan, 71, said his bathroom was in a mess when he returned from his holiday. --TNP PICTURE: KUA CHEE SIONG

BEING home again after a two-month trip to Malaysia was not so sweet for Mr Francis Tan.

First, he could not get into his one-room flat in Toa Payoh because the lock had been changed.

Then, he learnt that it was mosquito-busters who had done it, as authorised under the law.

They had broken in to check for mosquito breeding, after failing several time to gain entry.

Mr Tan went to the National Environment Agency (NEA) to collect the key to get in.

That was when he found his toilet cistern damaged. Water was gushing out. And the toilet was in a mess.

But worse was to follow a month later - the 71-year-old retiree ended up with a $1,200 water bill.

So, what led to the escape of water over an extended period?

Mr Tan claimed that all was in order when he left for his holiday at the end of May.

He thinks it was the intrusion by NEA officers that could have triggered the leak.

They were the only ones who were in his flat when he was away, he claimed.

When contacted by The New Paper, NEA said its inspection team was not negligent.

Under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act, authorised officers may enter any premises to survey, inspect, search or execute any works stated by the Act.

NEA entered flat

Mr Tan, a divorcee who has been living alone in the flat for the past two years, does not dispute NEA's right to break into his flat.

The NEA said it had tried informing MrTan of its visit.

Mr Tan showed The New Paper an NEA notice, dated 20 Jun, which arrived about amonth after he had left to visit friends inMalaysia.

The notice said its officers had made a 'few visits' to Mr Tan's flat but no one was home.

It asked for Mr Tan to be at home from 10am to noon the next day for the inspection.

When Mr Tan returned on 30 Jul, he found a notice on the door that said NEA officers had entered his flat on 26 Jun to check for mosquito breeding following cases of dengue fever in the neighbourhood.

The officers did not find any signs of mosquito breeding.

After they entered the flat, they replaced the padlock for the metal gate. The notice asked Mr Tan to collect the key from the NEA Central Regional Office in Bukit Merah.

After collecting the key, Mr Tan returned to find another notice outside his flat, this time from the national water agency PUB.

It said a PUB officer was at his home earlier to check his water meter and found 'high water consumption'.

The notice read: 'We found that the dial of the water meter serving your premises was moving even though no one was in. As this could be due to a leak in your plumbing, you are advised to check for leakage.'

As a precaution, the PUB had turned off his water mains.

When Mr Tan turned the mains on, he found water leaking from the cistern in his bathroom.

He recalled: 'When I lifted the cover of the cistern to check, one of the pipes inside was bent sideways. The water was flowing out like a tap. I ran out to turn the mains off.'

He said the floor around the kitchen was also dirty and messy.

He contacted NEA the next day.

Over the next few days, he had to manually flush the toilet by pouring water into the toilet bowl.

On 2 Aug, a plumber from the Housing Board (HDB) came to fix the cistern. But it did not end there.

In September, Mr Tan received his utilities bill for August from SP Services.

The water bill, which he showed us, was for more than $1,200 - about $900 for water and more than $300 for water conservation tax.

'I was shocked. I had expected the water bill to come up to no more than $200 (even with the leakage),' Mr Tan said.

The bar graph for past consumption that was printed on the bill also showed a sharp spike upwards for water consumption in August.

He said he usually pays about $5 a month for water. He showed us copies of his previous utilities bills as proof.

Could he have left a tap running when he left for his holiday?

He said: 'I'm very cautious when it comes to using water and electricity.'

Was the damage man-made? The New Paper tried contacting the plumber, but he could not be reached.

Mr Tan has so far refused to pay the $1,200 bill. He said he did not have the means to pay even if he wanted to.

'Would I be living in a one-room flat if I could pay?'

He now faces the prospect of having his utilities supply cut off.

In mid-October, he received a reminder notice from SP Services.

Later that month, another notice informed Mr Tan that his utilities supply may be cut off if he does not pay by 6 Nov.

So far, the supply has not been stopped.

Mr Tan said he has called and written to NEA several times. He showed us three replies from NEA, denying responsibility.

NEA's latest reply to him, dated 15 Oct, said that its officers had entered MrTan's house 'in the presence of two police officers and two Resident's Committee members'.

It said that NEA is 'unable to accept that the water leakage and (Mr Tan's) high utilities bill were a result of our entry into (his) flat'.

Mr Tan is sticking to his guns and refusing to pay the bill.

'I will let (my utilities supply) be cut off (if it has to be).'



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NEA inspected cistern, but says no damage done

ITS inspection officers were not to blame for Mr Tan's high water bill, an NEA spokesman told The New Paper.

'Our investigations show that there is nothing to suggest any negligence or fault on the part of NEA's inspection team,' the spokesman said.

'The leak could have been a latent or pre-existing condition and it may have gone unnoticed by our team or occurred later due to fair wear and tear.'

NEA officers had carried out checks for mosquito breeding on flats at Blocks 163, 168, 170 and 174, Lorong1 Toa Payoh from 3 Jun onwards due to a dengue fever outbreak in the area (there were 45 cases from 3 Jun to 22 Jul).

The spokesman said Mr Tan's flat at Block 170 was among 12 flats the officers could not inspect despite notices being left for the owners.

Notices were left outside Mr Tan's flat on 20 and 22Jun.

Said the spokesman: 'As there was still no response from Mr Tan and in light of the increasing number of dengue fever cases in the area, we were compelled to invoke Section 36 of the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act to (enter) Mr Tan's flat.'

They did it 'with the assistance of a locksmith and in the presence of police officers and grassroots leaders'.

'We had lifted the cover of the toilet cistern to check for mosquito breeding and then added granular insecticide into the cistern,' the spokesman said.

The officers had not damaged any property inside Mr Tan's flat.

But the NEA spokesman said that 'in light of the circumstances and on compassionate ground', NEA is considering helping Mr Tan to settle his water bill, and will be in touch with him.



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TIMELINE

END-MAY: Mr Tan leaves for Malaysia.

20-21 JUN: NEA officers try to check on mosquito breeding at Mr Tan's flat, leave notices to say they will return.

26 JUN: NEA officers enter flat. They leave notice to inform Mr Tan of their entry. They replace padlock on his gate.

30 JUL: Mr Tan returns from M'sia, gets key from NEA office. PUB officer leaves notice at flat about high water consumption. Mr Tan goes home, sees notice, finds water leaking from cistern.

31 JUL: Mr Tan reports leaking cistern to HDB.

2 AUG: Plumber from HDB fixes cistern.

EARLY SEPT: Mr Tan gets August utilities bill of more than $1,200.

31 JUL-24 NOV: Mr Tan calls and writes to NEA six times. NEA replies, denies responsiblity for water leakage and high bill.



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WHY DID CISTERN OVERFLOW?

A normal cistern or toilet tank has two main mechanisms to ensure it does not overflow: The overflow pipe, and the float ball and valve.

OVERFLOW PIPE

Directs water from tank into the toilet bowl when there is too much water in the tank

FLOAT BALL

Rises as water level in tank rises. Closes the fill valve when the tank reaches its maximum water level limit

PISTON

Connected to flush lever. Releases water into toilet bowl when lever is pushed He said one of the pipes inside his cistern was bent sideways.



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What can go wrong

Old valves may fail to close tightly, which may result in continued water flow into tank

Dented or damaged overflow pipe may fail to direct overflow water into toilet bowl

Punctured or damaged float ball may keep valve from closing properly



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Mr Tan's cistern

He said one of the pipes inside his cistern was bent sideways.

 

[dysentry]

If he was going to Malaysia for 2 months, he should have turned off the water and gas valves and electrical circuit breakers.

 

[pfingo]

fark him lah. he onli say he suspect. no cctv no talk..wait tio sue libel/slander $1200 + 00 at the back. be careful old man

 

[southwest]

This is one thread where the gahment agencies are let off the hook and the peasant is blasted by the sinkies

 

[pfingo]

This is one thread where the gahment agencies are let off the hook and the peasant is blasted by the sinkies

cannot anyhow give benefit of doubt to sinkie, some are smart and full of deceit

 

[madmansg]

why he so stupid never cohabit with china mei mei ? then sure got no problem one. NEA officers would bring ang pao everytime they visit his flat.

 

[ahbengsong]

When Shin Min approached PUB, its spokesperson said officers were investigating the matter and they would take the necessary steps to tackle the issue once they had reached a conclusion.
[unquote]

the same old shit reply from pap govt... every time they are investigating...

 

[metalslug]

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,188191,00.html?

Govt agencies respond to retiree 4 days after The New Paper report:
We'll cover your $1,200 water bill
By Amanda Yong

December 30, 2008




HE stood his ground over a water issue and refused to budge.

Mr Francis Tan had wanted government agencies to foot a $1,200 water bill he felt he was not responsible for.

And that is exactly what the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) have agreed to do, even if they do not admit liability.


Mr Tan had come home from a two-month trip to find himself with a damaged toilet cistern and a $1,200 water bill.

But on Christmas eve, Mr Tan got a letter from NEA informing him that NEA and PUB had decided to foot the bill on his behalf.

The New Paper had reported on 12 Dec that Mr Tan discovered a leak in his toilet after NEA officers entered his flat to do a check for mosquito breeding while he was in Malaysia.

The 71-year-old retiree said that his toilet cistern was damaged while he was away on holiday in Malaysia.

He added that water was gushing out when he returned from his break.

As a result, he ended up with a $1,200 water bill.

On 16 Dec, four days after The New Paper report was published, an NEA officer visited him at his home to find out what happened.

On 24 Dec, he received a letter which said that the government agencies would pay for the bill.

The statement added: 'While there is no evidence to suggest that NEA officers were responsible for the leak on 26 Jun 2008, NEA and PUB have decided to assist you with the bill in consideration that you were away and the unit was vacant during the period concerned.

'NEA will pay half the amount on compassionate grounds and PUB will waive the remainder as the leak has already been repaired promptly.'

Mr Tan described this turn of events as 'a Christmas bonus'.

An NEA spokesman had said in an earlier statement that its inspection officers were not to blame for Mr Tan's high water bill.

The team had entered the flat 'with the assistance of a locksmith and in the presence of police officers and grassroots leaders'.

The spokesman added that the officers had only lifted the cover of the cistern to check for mosquito breeding, then added insecticide to the cistern.

They had not done any damage to MrTan's property.

While it is still not clear how the leak in his toilet came about, Mr Tan is satisfied with how events played out.

He said: 'The important thing is that I don't have to pay. All along, the bone of contention was the bill, so I'll let the thing rest.

'I really appreciate what the press has done - it has helped me a lot in getting the matter resolved.'

 

[Cestbon]

Smart report to Paper and TV news sure they want to cover up. If really cannot them go C MP.

 

[VIBGYOR]

how can they break into your house just like that?

you are not even under supicious of criminal activities.

even if you do, they have to provide a court order before entering the old man premises!

this is absolute invasion of privacy.

can sue or not? lawyers please comment.

 

[besotted]

how can they break into your house just like that?

you are not even under supicious of criminal activities.

even if you do, they have to provide a court order before entering the old man premises!

this is absolute invasion of privacy.

can sue or not? lawyers please comment.

alamak of course can lah. it is perfectly legal

 

[The_Latest_H]

What's wrong with PUB and NEA? If they damaged it accidentally, then just apologise and admit your mistake, and ask PUB to retract the bill.

This shouldn't even be political. It isn't political in the first place. Its just a bad mistake, a bad screw-up. Apologise, retract the bill, and that's it. Thus, I'm astounded by their behaviour.

 

[VIBGYOR]

alamak of course can lah. it is perfectly legal

human rights in SGP is really unheard of!