Tag Archives: Collective Sale

Close neighbours seek en bloc sale

Mr Kirpalani, his wife Karishma and daughters Simran (left), 13, and Kajal, 11 in their bungalow. They, along with two other owners are selling their four strata bungalows, which sit on 24,443 sq ft of land in Bournemouth Road in Katong. The asking price is $24 million to $26 million. — ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA

They are close neighbours and their children play together every day.

Which is why the sellers in the latest en bloc initiative hope that a large family or extended families, rather than a developer, will pick up their four strata bungalows for $24 million to $26 million.

They sit on 24,443 sq ft of land in Bournemouth Road in Katong, one of the biggest plots in the area earmarked for detached houses.

‘It was a purely collective decision,’ said Mr Andy Kirpalani, 39, one of the three owners, on the move to cash in on the current property boom.

Originally called Sayang Villa, the gated compound used to be owned by a family with several siblings living in the four houses.

The current owners, all Singaporeans, did not know one another when they bought the units, each with a built-up area of 4,200 sq ft. They bought the houses between 21/2 and five years ago. Continue reading

Questions on collective sale laws

I REFER to last Friday’s letter by the Ministry of Law, ‘Rights of all owners adequately protected’.

I am particularly troubled by the statement: ‘We have taken steps under the Land Titles (Strata) Act to ensure the rights of all owners are adequately protected and provide recourse for those who feel aggrieved for any reason.’ For any reason? According to current laws, the Strata Titles Board will consider only financial objections. Non-financial objections are deemed irrelevant. So anyone objecting to a collective property sale for non-financial reasons has no legal recourse.

Also, an objector to a collective sale may be ordered by the Strata Titles Board to pay the legal costs of the majority consenting owners if his objection fails. For an individual, the prospect of having to pay legal costs is intimidating and makes any application to the Strata Titles Board to object to a sale a non-starter. Continue reading