June 4, 2009
Some 300 residents of troubled condominium The Grangeford said owner Cove Developments have no right to evict them since their rental leases were signed with another company.
Ideal Accomodation had been contracted to rent out the apartments but Cove said that has since been terminated.
The condominium came under the spotlight after the authorities found some 140 apartments converted into 600 units through illegal partitions.
It was supposed to be a meeting for Cove Developments to explain alternative accomodation which included those on shorter lease and hotel rooms at preferential rates at Meritus Mandarin.
But the residents wanted answers to other burning issues.
One resident said: “Since you’re chasing us away in 10 days, I think we should be talking about how to get back our compensation?”
Cove said they cannot guarantee the deposits and advanced rent payments, since the money was paid to Ideal Accomodation.
Residents walked out 30 minutes into the meeting but some came back for more answers.
One key issue was whether Cove, a subsidiary of UOB, had the right to ask residents to vacate, since the leases were signed with Ideal Accomodation.
Steven Ng, group company secretary, UOB Bank, said: “Cove developments have taken over these premises and we’re in the process of obtaining a court order to repossess this building.”
The company said it plans to demolish the building on 15 June. But some residents have heard different stories from Ideal Accomodation.
One resident said: “They’ve informed us that we can still stay up to 30 June and we can consume our deposit so they’ll not refund anything to us but we can consume it. And just right now Cove is telling us that their contract is terminated how can that be? Where are we going to stay?”
Some residents said they’ve paid deposits ranging from S$1200 to S$1800 for leases between three months to a year.
Another resident said: “I also know of some people who have paid six months rent because they had an offer that if you paid six months rent, you get half a month off or one month off.”
Residents are also putting up a petition to seek compensation from Ideal Accomodation and Cove Developments.
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