Wang Fuk Court administrator to hold owners’ meeting in July after repeated delays

The administrator of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court estate, which was destroyed in a deadly fire last November, has finally pledged to hold a long-awaited…

The administrator of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court estate, which was destroyed in a deadly fire last November, has finally pledged to hold a long-awaited homeowners’ meeting in July after repeated delays.

In a notice issued to the estate’s residents on Friday, Hop On Management Company said it had decided not to appeal against a ruling by the Lands Tribunal this month, which dismissed the company’s earlier request to postpone the extraordinary general meeting (EGM).

The government appointed the company in January to act as the administrator of the Tai Po estate after seven of its eight towers were engulfed in a deadly inferno last November, killing 168 people and displacing about 5,000 others.

On April 29, 247 owners, representing more than 12 per cent of the estate’s 1,984 households, petitioned Hop On to convene a meeting for displaced residents to provide an update on how it was handling issues related to the fire.

The Building Management Ordinance stipulates that the chairman of a management committee must convene a meeting within 14 days of a request made at least 5 per cent of homeowners and hold the EGM within 45 days. The 14-day deadline expired on May 13.

After repeated delays, Hop On said on Friday it would now focus its resources on preparing for the owners’ meeting and was “confident” that the meeting could be held in July.

The company said it had completed verification of the identities of some of the signatory owners – enough to meet the 5 per cent statutory threshold.