Check Our Books, Builder Tells Apartment Buyers

13/11/2003 The Sun

PETALING JAYA: The developer of a 20 year-old housing project has responded to allegations of bad maintenance and strata title delays by telling its purchasers to inspect its maintenance account and collect their strata titles.

However, SEA Park Apartments Owners and Residents Association (Spora) president Helen Tan said: "The place is like a slum. We want to set up our own management corporation because the current one is not doing a good job.

"However, we can't do that because the developer is delaying the transfer of half the strata titles."

A visit to the apartments last week showed that the project is in need of maintenance, and security is limited to only one guard for each shift, with two shifts daily.

Contacted yesterday, SEA Housing Corporation Sdn Bhd financial controller Kuan Chew Heng said: "All the 264 strata titles were issued in 2000 and the owners were notified the same year.

"To date, 158 owners have transferred the strata titles to their names. We urge those who have not done so to go to the lawyer's office. Those who need guidance may approach the management company, WTW Property Services Sdn Bhd."

"On the quality of maintenance, we have been assured by the management company that they are trying to provide the best maintenance with the limited funds available.

"The outstanding maintenance contribution as of Sept 30 this year is RM436,000, with one unit owing RM35,000.

"The audited maintenance account as of Dec 31, 2002 shows that a sum of RM396,000 has been advanced from us for maintenance."

A list of defaulters, dated July 1, shown to theSun, indicates that about 200 of the residents are prompt with maintenance payments, with only about 60 defaulters owing more than RMl,000 each.

However, Tan said: It is the management's job to take action against the defaulters. As long as they do not, the paying residents will continue to suffer.

"They have also never shown us the accounts. They should be sending the audited statement to us every year."

In response, Kuan said: "The accounts have been audited since day one and a copy has always been available for inspection at the management's site office"

Contacted on Monday, WTW Property Services declined to comment.