Hongfu Garden Hearing | Property Management Representative: The authorization votes are generally considered as signed when marked with a cross.

Tai Po Hong Fuk Court fire—Independent Committee holds its 7th hearing today. According to the timetable, 7 witnesses are to testify, including an office clerk from Boon Hong Investment Company Limited, Lok Kin-ying; a manager, Chung Wai-hasia; carpenter, Lee Shing-fu; an electrician, Lo Kwok-chui; a senior manager, Wong Pak-shing; an engineering officer, Lam Man-yin; and a property officer, Cheng Ji-ying.

Received more than 200 proxy votes—impact on voting results is clear

Lok Kin-ying, an office clerk of Boon Hong Investment Company Limited, continued to testify today, saying that the major refurbishment of Hong Fuk Court involved proxy voting situations that were common, with often more than a hundred proxy votes—for example, the meeting on September 6 to decide to replace the incorporated owners’ committee members involved more than 200 proxy votes. She also said that proxy votes could be said to be more than half, and their impact on the voting results was obvious.

As for whether the proxy votes were genuine or fake, Lok Kin-ying said that during her tenure she had never done any spot-checking work. She only compared the proxy documents, but the signatures could not be verified. “Put a cross—counts as if you signed,” she said, adding that unless the proxy documents lacked the floor information or the owners’ particulars, she would follow up.

A resident said they never issued a proxy—no reporting as a result

Lok Kin-ying pointed out that before the meeting, legal receipts would be issued to residents who had been authorized to vote on others’ behalf. There was a case where after receiving a receipt, a resident said that they had not issued a proxy, and believed that someone had forged documents. She said she would first suggest that the other party ask their family members to clarify, and consider whether to report to police, but she had never reported to police as a result.

Independent Committee member Chan Kin-poh was concerned about how the system of proxy documents should be amended. Lok Kin-ying believed that in Hong Fuk Court, many children had left the unit, but their parents had not updated their property ownership information. Therefore, when conducting a search, it was found that many people had already left Hong Fuk Court, and those children would then be unable to vote on behalf of their parents.

She suggested that standard documents should be put in place, with a sample of owners’ signatures attached for verification: “We won’t draw a cross, or tick here and there, and it’s treated as valid.”

The chairperson and vice-chairperson received the most proxy votes

Lok Kin-ying recalled that she had seen proxy document information that was incomplete. She would call the owners to ask them to add their signatures; she would obtain signatures at residents’ doorsteps. She would ask to verify identity cards, and she also had shown a staff identity card. During that period, there were other guests who were not clear and were questioned: “Going to collect the proxy document—making a grandmother sign.”

She also mentioned that proxy votes had to be submitted within 48 hours before the meeting. They needed to be verified and followed up during that period, handled by the management company. In general, the chairperson and vice-chairperson received the most proxy votes.

Committee members had previously questioned why fire water tanks were tiled over

In addition, senior barrister Du Gam-hun, representing the Independent Committee, said that at meetings of the incorporated owners’ management committee, some attendees had expressed opinions questioning why the fire water tank had to be “tiled over,” and thereafter the scope of the works was reduced.

Lok Kin-ying said that at the time, the management company explained that the potable water tanks had damaged or failed fittings and that the water pipes had become rusty, leading to poor quality of drinking water. If the potable water tank needed repair, replacement arrangements would be required. She believed that tiling over a fire water tank could make it into a temporary potable water tank, so it could later be repaired.

Du Gam-hun also questioned whether the practice of using a fire water tank to hold potable water was appropriate. Lok Kin-ying responded that some people proposed many approaches, but they forgot the specific details of what had been discussed.

During the works, the fire water tank had no water storage

Du Gam-hun mentioned that in March last year, the agenda of a meeting of the incorporated owners had already stated that during the fire-fighting works, the fire water tank had to be closed once every 14 days, and it was expected to take one year. Lok said she had no impression of that.

Du Gam-hun displayed a photo showing that because part of the pipeline connected to the fire water tank was dismantled during the works, he was concerned whether it was related to the conversion to a potable water tank. Lok Kin-ying responded that she did not know much about the detailed maintenance of the fire water tank, and only knew that during the works, the fire water tank had no water stored.