Re: Sengkang "temple" - 3 Day Old $1 Company Can Win HDB Tender
[h=1]HDB: WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSSES FERNVALE RESIDENTS SUFFERED FROM NOT READING FINE PRINT[/h]
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Post date:
7 Jan 2015 - 5:42pm
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Future Fernvale Lea residents are asking for a refund from the Housing & Development Board (HDB) over the sudden appearance of a columbarium that would be built right next to their estate but it looks like the HDB has gotten itself covered even before the whole fracas began.
"There is really nothing to hide," PAP Member of Parliament Lam Pin Min for Sengkang West said.
But the HDB's fine print says otherwise.
It seemed to know how things would blow up and have removed itself from any responsibility in the fine prints.
Here is what has been happened.
In January 2012, the Fernvale Lea Build-to-Order project was put up for sale. All the Housing & Development Board (HDB) would say was that a Chinese temple would be built next to it.
Fine and well but then, Life Corp, under the guise of Eternal Pure Land, came along and won the tender to build a columbarium.
But Eternal Pure Land actually won the bid in July last year but for six months, HDB did not see it necessary at all to inform the future residents of Fernvale Lea.
But future residents only found out about the columbarium just before the turn of the new year - six months after Life Corp won the bid - and got the surprise of their lives.
The columbarium was beating the living daylights out of them even before it was built.
But to add to the insult, HDB, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and PAP Member of Parliament Lam Pin Min all blamed the residents for not having read the fine prints.
"It was indicated in the brochures, some of them might have missed it," Mr Lam retorted.
As if a columbarium was not enough, the government was going to make it a living hell for the residents.
So will HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) change the plans for the columbarium?
“We have to leave it up to the HDB and URA to assess the situation," Mr Lam said.
But HDB and URA said yesterday that the columbarium will continue as planned and said that Eternal Pure Land is committed to running the temple.
But where Life Corporation only set up Eternal Pure Land with $1 just a few days before the tender for the columbarium was to close, what kind of commitment is this?
Moreover, when Life Corporation announced the success of its bid, it said that it wanted "expand its presence in the enlarged bereavement business in Singapore with the columbarium facility".
It was never about the temple, was it?
So, will HDB give a refund, residents ask.
HDB said it will "look into the residents’ request for a refund".
The government was not going to back off, even though it looked like it was their fault right from the start.
In fact, the government did not want to commit to anything.
It seemed to want the future Fernvale Lea residents to suck it in and does not look like it wants to do anything about it.
HDB and URA also claimed that marketing brochures for Fernvale Lea for potential buyers of Fernvale Lea flats had indicated that the nearby Chinese temple might include ancillary services, such as a columbarium.
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But the residents shot back. All the map on the brochure said was that only a Chinese temple would be built next to Fernvale Lea.
It was only in very small print that is barely readable that, "places of worship may also include comlumbarium as an ancillary use."
Also, "The implementation of the facilities is subject to review by the Government or competent authorities."
"Competent" authorities, it said.
But here comes the shocker.
The HDB had already planned to washed its hands off this right from the start.
In its brochure, it also said, "HDB shall not be responsible in any way for any damage or loss suffered by any person whether directly or indirecly as a result of reliance on the said information or as a result of any error or omission therein."
And HDB had the audacity to say that "reasonable care has been taken in providing this information".
Doesn't look like "reasonable care" to conceal the information of the "comlumbarium" in small print, does it?
Guess what? Looks like HDB knew that the whole issue might blow up at some point and it has already put in disclaimers in the fine print to protect itself.
"HDB shall not be responsible in any way for any damage or loss," it said, even if the person who suffered the loss relied on their "said information".
So, HDB is pretty much saying that they had created a misleading brochure, and if future Fernvale Lea Residents had read their misleading brochure and suffered, then it is too bad for the residents.
You, the Fernvale Lea residents, have to take responsibility for the mess that HDB created, it seems to be the case.
Good luck, Fernvale Lea.
HDB has planned to wash its hand off right from the start.
Now where is National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan when you need him?
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