Two co-owners fined over $50,000 for not complying with removal order

​Two co-owners were convicted and fined $56,370 in total, of which $49,370 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts last Friday (August 21) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123). The case involved unauthorised structures with a total area of about 48 square metres on the ground floor of a house on Tsing Tai Road, Tuen Mun. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the two co-owners under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, they were prosecuted by the BD. A spokesman for the BD said today (August 24), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take stringent enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety." Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fin