Subject: Informative to house buyer
Good job. The association does gives us as purchaser
certain information that is not made available to laymen as us. I suggest
the association could add more information on house buyers and the developer
right between the time of CF and strata title for condos and apartments.
I am the president of Kenaria Condominium Pro Tem Committee in Kajang. How
do we go about to be a member of HBA?.
From: SS
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002
Subject: Re: HOUSE BUYER
PROBLEMS
Dear Sir,
Thank you very much for replying
my mail. I am very pleased and meaningful to receive this mail. My impression
told me that as a voluntary organisation, you sure have a lot of enquiries
and problems need to attend and will take times to answer my mail. It is
really impress me when I receive fast response from you. Great job. Well
done.
From: Sally Lee
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 10:41 PM
Broadly speaking property development involved
the following parties,
1 Government & Local Authorities
2 Bankers/ Financial Institution
3 Developer
4 Contractor/sub-contractors/suppliers
5 House buyers.
The present laws or system still very much favour the the bankers and developer
. Even if the house buyers have made 100% payment, the property still does
not belong to the house buyers until the Developer's Banker say so. The
contractor/subcontractor/supplier may not get their full payment from the
developer even though the property is 100% completed and the buyers have
taken possession. Even if the project is 100% sold.
Many problems actual arising from the financial agreement between the Developers
and their bankers. It is not an uncommon practice for the banker to take
away the umbrella when it rains. The Bankers even have over-riding right
over the HDA Account. May be some one should carry out study on these financial
agreement. Though it is a non-disclosurable thing under MIFIA rule.
If ENRON can collapse because of accounting scandal, what is so secure about
HDA account & Financial Agreement .
From: CK
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 5:00 PM
We thank you for your kind supports and advices
to our persistence to our rights as owners of the Condo during the
year.
The Committee is get more support from the owners
and as such we are progressing. However, we foresee delays from the
developer in the Transfer of the Strata Title. We hope we can break through
in the coming year with your further kind assistance. Hope you and your
colleagues will have a healthy and more enjoyable new year of HORSE!!!
From: "wingka"
Date: Monday, February 11, 2002
Subject: MAINTENANCE FEE FOR RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS
Dear Sir / Madam,
I came across your article in The Star recently.
You provided a lot of tips for house owners like us who are not well versed
on our right.
Recently, my house keys was handed to me for
my new low medium cost apartment which has an area of about 670 sq. ft.
which I bought it for RM 66 000.00.I have just received a bill of RM 180.00
for 3 months maintenance fee.
Is the amount of maintenance fee that I need
to pay fairly charged to me as the apartments do not have facilities like
security or swimming pool? Apartments developed by the same developer next
to our lot which is 700 sq. ft. per unit and with facilities like swimming
pool and security are also charged the same rate as us.
May I be enlightened on these maintenance fees
formula set by the authority to convince myself on the justification of
the rate I have to pay.
From: CK
Date: Sunday, February 03, 2002 12:51 AM
hi, i've read from the newspaper regarding the
formation of your association and what u have done since then. although
you have just established the previous year, but it seems that you have
done quite a number of things to help the worried house buyers. well done!
From: Samantha
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 11:38 AM
Subject: Power to Change
I read your article titled above in the NST
26/1/2002 with great enthusiasm and delight that finally the house buyers
will have greater consumer laws on their side when the Housing Development
(Control & Licensing) Act is gazetted next month. I can certainly
identify with most of the points raised in the article regarding the handing
over of vacant possession (keys to the property) by the property developer
without proper Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CFO) being issued.
From: tanks
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 11:09 AM
Dear Sir/Ms,
I saw your association article in NST recently,
I am very pleased to read through HBA volunteers profound work to help the
house buyers in Malaysia. I would be grateful if you could put my name in
the mailing list. I need all the update news as I am interested to know
more in this area.
From: RH
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:48 AM
Dear House Buyer Association, Firstly, I must
say that it is great to have HBA set up to look into the rights and
interests of the house buyers. Congratulation and hope that HBA will move
forward as years go on.
From: AW
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 1:02 PM
Subject: Topics to Highlight in championing
buyers rights
I admire your attempt in championing buyers'
rights and highlight the following:
Buyers must write immediately to stakeholder lawyers that they are not to
release the 5 % until the developer produces a signed document by the purchaser
stating that the developer has carried out his responsibilities during the
defects liability period and that the funds can be released. This will ensure
developer carries out his obligation during the defects liability period
and also that the stakeholder does not release funds without the purchaser's
consent ( after all the stakeholder is supposed to be neutral )
A lot of interest is accumulated in purchasers account especially before
the first bank payment. Despite all the undertaking letters given by all
parties, the banks or their lawyers insist on receiving proper documentation.
If an undertaking letter is useless, lawyers should not waste purchasers'
money in legal fees for documents that are not valid. Alternatively, banks
to be liable for interest charged should all undertaking letters are in
place.
Bank's undertaking to the developer to pay on production of an architects
certificate should be amended to include the clause that payment will be
made subject to developer having met all conditions in the Sales and Purchase
agreement. For the last payment, if the developer has delayed in the completion
of the house, the bank will therefore have the right to hold payment until
the developer complies with the S&P agreement to pay the purchaser immediately
on handing over vacant possession the penalty for late delivery. Now banks
are afraid to withhold because of the undertaking letter.
It is difficult to understand why architects are *...multi-storey buildings
are painted with external paint that does not even last one year; bathrooms
are provide with long baths and no provision for hot water piping. One cannot
blame the developer as he will state that he has employed the architect.
Architect must be made fully responsible for not thinking sensibly. Definitely,
more responsible architects will benefit the purchasers.
Thank you and wishing you the best.
From: jain
Date: Monday, January 21, 2002 7:53 PM
Hello, I came to know about HBA through Saturday's
19th Jan Property Times. It is great that there's an organization that we
can seek some help. I have a case here and would appreciate if you could
advise what is the next cause of action that I should take to get this developer
refund the money I have paid.
From: RP
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2002 3:24 AM
To Whom It May Concern, We are delighted to
know that House Buyer Association is able to give advice on problems faced
by the house buyers when developers do not comply to their original plan.
We are one of the unfortunate buyers who are caught and we would appreciate
if you could provide us with your professional advice.
From: swooi
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 1:41 PM
HBA has provided a bridge
and reach out to the would-be homeowners and homeowners much needed resources
for their plight or preventions, plus information that lighten up homeowners.
It's hats up!
Lorrenx - 24 Nov 2001
It is great that all of you can manage to pull
everyone together to achieve these common objectives. Our RA has a lot to
learn from you. Question: Can we (RA) invite your representatives to give
us a talk & provide us with useful tips? From what I have heard about hba,
you all have done a great job!
Kindly revert. Thanks, Francis Tan - 17 Nov
2001
Thank you very much for attending the meeting
in Tiara Duta today. Because of the support from you all, the TDRA members
are in the JMC. SALUTE TO YOU! Some owners are very impressed by HBA. I'll
chase them to join HBA.
Thank you again. Best regards.
From: Rachel Goh
Date: November 10, 2001
Thank you all very much for attending the JMC
meeting tomorrow. This is a great news for us! Will talk to you tomorrow,
God! I'm so excited!
Rachel Goh from Tiara Duta - 09 Nov 2001
I must congratulate all of
you for putting in your time and effort to run HBA so successfully in such
a short time and at your own free time! Your web site is indeed enriching
comprising lots of infor esp on the problems faced by house buyers.
Thank You and best regards
Eric Gan - 8 Nov 2001
Thanks for the information. I've e-mailed En
Saiful and will follow up with him. I think what the HBA is doing is great.
Good luck and keep up the good work.
Regards, Shamala - 31 Oct 2001
Congratulations to HBA on
this website.
House buyers can now
have a stronger voice.
from,
SM,
Pantai Panorama Owners and Residents Association.- 06 Oct 2001
Thank you for replying my mail and i am very
happy to received this mail and this mean that there are so many new people
in HOUSE BUYER ASSOCIATION. Congratulation one again and Good Luck. How
impress am i and how good if i can be one of the people in the HOUSE BUYER
ASSOCIATION FAMILY BUT anyway i WISH ALL OF YOU HAPPY HELPING AND HOPE TO
hear any upgrade from you guys. Special thank to you Suzie Low and good
luck.
Wish and Cheer from Elvin Yeo Tokyo Japan. -
28/09/2001.
First and foremost I wish
to congratulate your Association for launching your website and getting
all housebuyers together to ensure a more level playing field between developers
and housebuyers. I hope more housebuyers will join your association to make
it a more potent force.
I would like to bring up several issues for your Association to consider
for the benefit of all housebuyers.
1. Strata Title - I fail to understand why developers do not apply for
strata title as provided under the Strata title Act which states that
application for strata title must be made within six months after obtaining
the Certificate of Fitness.
2. Why did the government department (Land Office) not taken action against
developers who failed to apply for Strata Title within the specified period
although there are specific provisions in the Strata Title Act for doing
so.
3. It seems that developers can openly break the law putting thousands of
housebuyers in hardship, whilst individual minor offences like littering,
breaking of traffic rules are bring actively pursued by the government.
4. The proposed amendments to the Strata Title Act provide heavier fines
to the developers for failing to act according to the provisions of Act.
What is the use of enhancing the Strata Title Act and changing it to some
other fancy name when even under the present act, the government seem reluctant
to act according to its provisions.
5. Sinking Fund - Most developers keep the housebuyers in the dark as to
the whereabouts and accountability of the Sinking Fund. In some cases, on
handing over the management to the housebuyers, not only the sinking fund
is gone but also lots of outstanding bills are handed over to housebuyers.
Developers should be made to keep the Sinking Fund in Fixed Deposits in
Banks and post a copy of the Fixed Deposit Certificate on the notice board
monthly. Developers should follow the example of the developer Eternal Holding
Sdn Bhd who is opening a joint account with housebuyers for the
Sinking Fund.
6. Maintenance Fees - At the present moment where landed property is a luxury
meant only for the rich, most of the housing within the reach of the middle
and lower income are apartments. There are some housebuyers who refuse to
pay maintenance fees because the property is badly maintained, some just
flatly refuse to pay and some because developers are not paying for their
own units. With more and more apartments being built, collection of maintenance
fees will become a major problem, because they are needed for the daily
maintenance of common property like lifts, cleaning, common lighting, generator
sets, water pumps, etc. The government should take proactive steps to ensure
that maintenance fees are being paid compulsory like enacting a law for
the collection to be undertaken by Tenaga National Bhd. These fees can then
be incorporated into the electricity bill and non-payment will result in
the cutting-off of electricity. This course of action, I understand have
been implemented in Singapore. Any delay in having this foresight will turn
all apartments into slums because of the lack of maintenance in the not
too distant further.
7. Common Property - There are some developers who try to sell common property,
for example car and motor-cycle parks although they are listed as common
property under the sale and purchase agreement. For your comments please.
8. I hope that HBA can use its influence to pressure the government to look
into the woes of all housebuyers and take appropriate action against any
errant developer.
Thank you very much and wishing the association every success.
LP, Penang
Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:31:54 +0000
