Wang Fuk Court administrator announces HK$127 million refund for displaced owners

Hop On Management Company, the government-appointed administrator of Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court estate following the devastating Tai Po fire, disclosed during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday that HK$180 million (US$22.9 million) has already been paid to parties involved in the estate's HK$336 million renovation project. The remaining HK$127 million will be refunded to owners displaced by the tragedy, according to Frankie Chan, service director at Hop On. The meeting was one of two sessions arranged after more than 240 owners (over 12% of households) petitioned in late April for an extraordinary general meeting within 45 days, warning of legal action if ignored. A second session is scheduled for May 20.

Since being appointed in January to represent the management committee of the Wang Fuk Court owners' corporation, Hop On has completed the handover of 890,000 digital files from ISS EastPoint, the estate's previous property management firm. These files include payment records of owners who paid in instalments for the renovation project. Chan noted that the final calculation of each household's refund amount could only be determined after months of processing the documents. Residents expressed dissatisfaction during the meeting, as the timeline for refunds remains uncertain despite the large sum set aside.