Hands were raised when posed a question during the meeting with Liew (centre, background). (20200902-151955)
KOTA KINABALU: Some owners of the Marina Court Resort Condominium (MCRC) here, who are not happy with the developer-MCRC interim management, are seeking the intervention of incumbent Api Api Assemblywoman Datuk Christina Liew over the perennial issues of non-issuance of strata (or subsidiary) titles, water shortage and malfunctioned lifts despite paying service charges from Day One.
Spokespersons B.Y. Chong and M. L. Chu said they had no choice but to bring the matter to Liew’s attention in a special meeting with her on Wednesday because the owners were frustrated after they failed to get answers from the management.
“Over the years, we have written many letters to the developer-interim management corporation. We are unhappy with the services provided and have suffered far too long with no light at the end of the tunnel. We have not received our strata titles after 20 years of ownership. We feel we have been short-changed by the developer and the MCRC management (appointed by the developer).
“What is also perplexing is that Marina Court is located in the heart of the city, and not in a remote village, yet we are facing a constant lack of water supply since 2013. We had been buying water in times of need from the Water Department,” the spokespersons said.
Based on records produced by them, Marina Court owners had purchased water in January, February and May this year, totalling 325,000 litres.
“Previously, the high occupancy rate was blamed for the water shortage, but during the early MCO period (March and April), there were hardly any guests at the serviced apartments. Thus, it did not make sense that our taps ran dry when there were fewer occupants,” Chong and Chu contended.
According to them, the MCRC Management Corporation had failed to comply with the Water Department’s requirement to improve the internal water supply system. They showed Liew two letters from the department (dated 2016 and 2017) advising the developer-interim management to resolve the problem by upgrading the existing pipes after the water meter. On its part, the department had upgraded its incoming water supply pipe (from the department) and fittings at the Marina Court’s meter stand so that head loss can be reduced.
Liew, who is also caretaker Deputy Chief Minister, said the application for strata titles and their issuance are governed by the Land (Subsidiary Title) Enactment 1972.
She advised the affected owners to look for any clause in the Sale and Purchase Agreement, pertaining to the time bar for the issuance of strata titles.
“Once you have obtained the strata titles, you can form an action committee to address the need to appoint a company to act as the management,” she said.
Beginning January this year, the existing management corporation had increased the management fee and sinking fee by 45pc, Chong and Chu pointed out. “Such increase should have brought about better and safe lift services, cleaner surroundings, car parks and building walls but, unfortunately, we don’t see any of these.”
Emphasising the importance of safety, the spokespersons called for the replacement of 20-year-old lifts at Blocks C and D to avert any untoward incident.
“We (owners of MCRC) have recently appealed to the developer and interim management to allow a short-term concession by reverting the service charges to the old rate from September until the end of the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) on December 31, 2020. They have yet to respond,” said the spokespersons.
A copy of the letter has been extended to the incumbent Api Api Assemblywoman.
Chong and Chu also raised concern over the alleged monthly hiring of 250 potted plants by the management without prior agreement of the owners. “Its annual cost has been charged to us for many years,” the duo lamented.