Two property owners were fined a total of over HKD 400,000 for not complying with the demolition order

A government spokesperson stated that two owners were convicted and fined a total of HKD 401,600 yesterday (11th) at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court for failing to comply with a demolition order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (Chapter 123).

A spokesperson for the Buildings Department indicated today (12th) that unauthorized structures can lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with the demolition order as soon as possible. The Buildings Department will continue to take enforcement actions against owners who do not comply with the demolition order, including prosecution, to ensure building and public safety.

The two cases involve four structures on the rooftop of an industrial building on Siu Mei Street in Wong Tai Sin, with a total area of approximately 1,140 square meters. These unauthorized structures were not approved or consented to by the Buildings Department in advance, and the department issued demolition orders to the two owners under Section 24(1) of the Buildings Ordinance.

Since the two owners failed to comply with the demolition orders, they were prosecuted by the Buildings Department four times and were convicted, receiving cumulative fines of HKD 417,845 and HKD 432,545 respectively. As the two owners still did not comply with the demolition orders, the Buildings Department initiated a fifth prosecution. The two owners were again convicted in court, each being fined HKD 200,800, of which HKD 70,800 was a fine for the duration of the ongoing offense