Disputes among condominium owners over issues from collective sale bids to water seepage could be more speedily resolved, with the Strata Titles Boards looking to improve its mediation processes.  It said in its 2018 annual report released on Feb 1 that it will review the entire process of how mediation and arbitration hearings are conducted.  […]

Faced with the prospect of killer litter falling into the private enclosed space of their ground-floor units, 22 owners applied to the Strata Titles Boards (STB) for an order to allow fixed metal awnings to be erected.  Read the article………………..

Most developers in Singapore are competent and well-capitalised. This is great of course, but it leads to one little problem: it makes Singaporean property buyers a little too relaxed and trusting when it comes to buying a new launch or uncompleted condo. For many people in a showsuite, the risk that a developer will delay […]

Last May, there was a much publicised furore at executive condo One Canberra between the managing agent and their residents in the run up to their first AGM. How did things come to such a state? If you live in a condo, should you consider getting involved, or at least pay attention, to your management […]

Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) announced on Wednesday (18 July) that it has ordered the management of the 47-unit Nicon Gardens in 65K Choa Chu Kang Road to pay a $2,000 fine for failing to fix a leaking pipe there in a timely manner.  In the evening of 28 June, the agency was informed that […]

The management of Nicon Gardens condominium was fined $2,000 for failing to repair a service pipe despite notices, national water agency PUB said in a statement on Wednesday (July 18).  The pipe leaked for about four days, resulting in 4,000 cubic m of water being lost. This is enough to fill 1½ Olympic-size swimming pools, […]

We get it, sometimes condo residents get frustrated at their management corporation (MCST), and vice versa. Most time these conflicts result in a bunch of angry emails, questionable legal threats, and a lot of eye injuries (from eyeballs rolled so far back they get stuck). Once in a while, however, disputes between condo MCST and […]

If you’re new to Singapore’s condos, you’re in for an adventure. The condo security guards are some of the most fascinating people you’ll meet. Guarding entire residential blocks with nothing more than a walkie-talkie and a rolled up copy of Wanbao, condo security guards can range from everyday heroes to everyday annoyances. Whether you have […]

The touchy issue of what constitutes “common property” at an apartment complex has become clearer following a Court of Appeal judgment released on Monday (March 5).  The court in October had dismissed billionaire Sit Kwong Lam’s bid to keep deckings and an air-conditioning unit affixed to common property adjoining his Ardmore Park penthouse.  The three-judge […]

If you haven’t heard, two Singaporean men have recently been charged on renting out four condominium units for short-term accommodation on Airbnb. Whilst we know that the minimum lease for renting out private homes is three months, and that many private property owners are guilty of flouting this rule, this is the first time that […]

OWNERS of condominium project Park West are hoping that third time’s the charm in their collective sale attempt, this time at an expected selling price of S$750 million.  They saw a strong start on Saturday when signatures from around 30 per cent of owners by share value and strata area were collected on their first […]

For years, horror tales abound in condominiums across the island: Illogical and draconian by-laws passed by high-handed management committees, and proxy wars waged by owners who try and garner hundreds of votes to push their agenda.  Which was why the first-ever set of legislative changes to the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act introduced in […]

After three rounds of public consultation over five years, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has come up with a set of 57 proposed changes (Stricter controls on MCSTs proposed to beef up governance; Aug 2).  I had offered suggestions to the National Development and Law ministries in 2011 and hoped that the BCA and […]

Disputes are an inevitable occurrence over the course of strata living in Singapore (Condos, owners tussle over fixtures; June 13).  The dispute resolution mechanisms available to condominium residents, however, are decidedly inadequate.  Residents of HDB flats have the option to refer cases to their local town council before undertaking mediation by grassroots leaders or MPs, […]

A judge refused a condominium management corporation’s (MC) bid to remove a resident’s dog from the condo premises, warning against misuse through subjective interpretation of a condo by-law to force the move.  The management council of JC Residence in Joo Chiat had taken dog owner Yan Wen Ting to court based on the woes of […]

Condominiums boast luxurious facilities meant for their residents and their guests. Some even have large swimming pools and washrooms rivalling that of five-star hotels.  But a new trend is worrying the managements of some condominiums here.  “Condo-crashing”, which entails members of the public entering the private premises to use the facilities, has led to some […]

A few months ago, there was a much publicised furore at executive condo One Canberra between the managing agent and their residents. How did things come to such a state? Why should you consider getting involved, or at least pay attention, to your condo’s management council? Council members work closely with the appointed managing agent […]

A Singapore Management University law professor was ordered to pay $120,000 in total damages after defaming three people during an annual general meeting of the management corporation (MC) of Duchess Residences in the Bukit Timah area.  The trio who sued Prof Gao Shu Chao for defamatory remarks comprised MC chairman Tan Kok Quan, who is […]

A group of 22 home owners at another condo wanted the trellises in their balconies to be covered. For some, it was about preventing killer litter.  In both estates, their respective management corporations (MCs) said no.  When mediation talks failed to resolve the matter, the owners took their cases to the Strata Titles Board (STB). […]

The report on issues faced by the home owners of Austville Residences executive condominium (Austville residents seeking compensation for alleged defects; May 1) is timely, and highlights the concerns of new condo buyers.  Buyers are often faced with the problem of determining what constitutes misrepresentation by developers, especially on features in the common areas, as […]

I find the current Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act inadequate in protecting the interests of subsidiary proprietors in areas of governance, compliance and disclosure, except for basic statutory compliances   Read more……..