Resident who paid S&CC charges files refund claims against AHPETC

SINGAPORE — A resident of Parkland Residences on Upper Serangoon Road has gone to court to seek a refund for the service and conservancy charges (S&CC) she had paid to the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).

Corporate travel manager Melinda Teo, 37, lodged a report with the Small Claims Tribunals on Monday to get back the S$367.20 she had paid to the AHPETC between November last year and May this year.

Residents of Parkland Residences, a Design, Build and Sell Scheme project, had been caught in an impasse involving the AHPETC and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) over maintenance documents.

AHPETC had insisted that the developer, Kwan Hwee Investment, handed over a list of documents and certain items before the town council starts to manage and maintain the estate’s common areas. However, the HDB said the documents were not required for AHPETC to do its day-to-day cleaning. The impasse resulted in the residents having to clean their own common areas.

Between November and June, Kwan Hwee Investment also had to perform cleaning duties for which it is planning to seek compensation from the AHPETC.

The impasse has been resolved. Since the start of this month, the AHPETC has been cleaning and maintaining the property’s common areas as required under the Town Councils Act.

Some residents who have been paying S&CC charges before the AHPETC took over the estate’s cleaning have said they hoped to seek refunds.

However, Mr Low Thia Khiang, The Workers’ Party chief and Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament, told residents last month in a newsletter that the AHPETC will be using the paid S&CC monies to reimburse the developer.

Ms Teo told TODAY it is not just about recovering paid monies. “... I feel that AHPETC cannot insist (on) payments based on all residents (having) to pay S&CC, but (it) did not fulfil its duties prior to June,” she said.

Ms Teo said she had posted on the Parkland Residences’ Facebook page to inform other residents of her move, but noted it is up to individuals to file their own reports. She also pointed out that emails sent to the town council have gone unanswered. These include a petition by more than 300 residents to waive S&CC charges between November and last month.

A meeting will be held at the Small Claims Tribunals between Ms Teo and an AHPETC representative on July 2. The AHPETC had not responded to TODAY’s queries by press time. NG JING YNG