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SLA moves in after three Merpati Road homeowners refuse to vacate

SINGAPORE — For the second time in a year, owners of several properties, which have been acquired by the Government, have refused to move out after the deadline — that was extended four times — lapsed on Tuesday (April 25).

SLA officers dropping off the Notice of Possession at one of the three remaining households at Merpati Road on April 25, 2017. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY

SLA officers dropping off the Notice of Possession at one of the three remaining households at Merpati Road on April 25, 2017. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — For the second time in a year, owners of several properties, which have been acquired by the Government, have refused to move out after the deadline — that was extended four times — lapsed on Tuesday (April 25). 

The Government has served a final warning and notice of possession on the owners of three freehold terrace houses along Merpati Road, which are among a group of 15 properties in the vicinity gazetted in 2010 for redevelopment around the upcoming Downtown Line’s Mattar Station. 

A formal enforcement notice will be issued to them, and they will have a 28-day grace period thereafter to move out. If they fail to do so, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will apply for a court order to take over the properties. The order could be granted within three to six months. 

Several Singapore Land Authority (SLA) officers, led by its deputy chief executive Simon Ong, visited the area on Tuesday and tried to speak to the occupants of the houses. They spoke to Mr George Oh, 60, who lives with his two brothers in one of the houses. 

No one came to the gate at the other two houses, and the SLA officers placed the notice of possession in the letterboxes.

The SLA officers told reporters that Mr Oh “understands the significance” of the acquisition and has promised to move out in a few days. Speaking to reporters later, Mr Oh said he and his brothers have been living on the property since 1974. 

His younger brother, a 54-year-old car mechanic, was reluctant to move out because he works in the area. His elder brother, 64, is physically immobile.

They have bought a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat, which is currently undergoing renovation, and will move out “gradually” as the works near completion, he said. He added that they were hoping for another extension. “Before this, when we can extend (the deadline), we will just extend ... they say they want to develop, we have no other choice. We have to move out … It was very hard to get a landed property, now I have to downgrade, what (do you think) are my feelings,” he said.

Mr Oh said the Government’s compensation was insufficient but he declined to reveal how much he was given. “Actually, (it was) not very good, because we cannot buy a replacement unit at the same price. So we just accept it. The Government just gave us a price,” he said. 

At one of the other houses, an elderly resident, who wanted to be known only as Mr Loh, spoke to reporters after the SLA officers had left. 

He lives with his daughter, son and a daughter-in-law, and they plan to move once they manage to get a HDB flat. “We have no choice, if the Government wants us to move then we have to move … the rest (of our neighbours) have already left,” the 78-year-old said in Mandarin. 

TODAY understands that market compensation of between S$1.7 million and S$3.3 million was offered to the owners, based on market value of the acquired land. 

The compensation package also takes into account waivers of various fees and charges such as stamp duties and legal fees, and includes concessions such as priority for HDB Build-To-Order applications. 

The houses are situated across the street from the upcoming MRT station. 

The owners had been given four rounds of extensions spanning 20 months from the original deadline in 2015 to give up the land, said the SLA. The owners of a dozen other properties along Merpati Road and Jalan Anggerek, which were gazetted in 2010 for compulsory acquisition, have all handed over their properties to the SLA. 

The SLA stressed that no further extension of the deadline will be given. A spokesperson said: “Agencies will need to commence road realignment and associated infrastructure works to prepare the area, currently occupied by the properties, for future high-density residential developments around the upcoming Mattar station (which will be ready by the end of the year).”

In April last year, owners of five units in a walk-up apartment block along Tanjong Katong Road — which will be demolished to make way for the Thomson-East Coast Line’s Amber Station — had also resisted surrendering their properties, demanding more compensation.  

Legal proceedings were started by the authorities but the owners handed over the keys before the proceedings concluded.

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