The consultant behind the renovation of Wang Fuk Court, the housing estate reduced to ruins in Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in seven decades, is to close down as experts warn the case highlights limited protection for flat owners under the city’s corporate liability laws.
The Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies told the Post on Wednesday that some of its members had been notified of the closure of Will Power Architects, the consultancy overseeing the HK$336 million (US$43.18 million) renovation project at the Tai Po estate.
News of the closure spread after its two directors were among 21 people arrested in connection with the fire that swept through seven of eight blocks of the estate and left 159 dead.
Johnnie Chan Chi-kau, past president of the association, said some management companies in Hong Kong had received “oral notifications” about the shutdown while some property owners reported receiving written notices.
However, he added that the association itself had not been formally notified by the consultancy.
“In these circumstances, it is essential for the owners’ corporation and property management companies to seek legal and technical advice to effectively manage subsequent arrangements,” the association said.