Tai Po fire victims face deadline for government buyout offer

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Nine months after a fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po killed 168 people and displaced thousands, the Hong Kong government set a deadline of 5:00 pm on Monday for residents to accept a buyout offer. While 96.5 percent of homeowners indicated a willingness to sell their units for cash or alternative government-subsidized housing, some residents, including Betty Ho, refused the terms and demanded the estate be rebuilt on its original site. The government rejected this demand, citing a decade-long reconstruction timeline, and has not ruled out using future legislative means to address remaining unsold properties.

Consequences

Residents who refuse to accept the buyout offer risk their properties becoming 'nail houses,' which may leave them isolated and subject to potential legal battles or state-led compulsory acquisition. Because the Basic Law protects private property, the government would need to legally prove that any forced acquisition serves a reasonable public purpose, a process that experts suggest could be subject to judicial challenge.

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