Authorities find many Hong Kong luxury homes inspected in latest round of checks after landslides not complying with law

Hong Kong authorities have found at least 13 out of 14 inspected homes have either been confirmed or suspected to have encroached illegally on government land or built unauthorised structures at a luxury estate in Tai Tam.

The buildings and lands departments launched a joint inspection last month of unauthorised building works and unlawful occupation of government land by houses on the seafront of the Redhill Peninsula private housing estate after landslides exposed illegal works.

According to authorities, inspectors entered six out of 10 houses and collected evidence on September 22. They found all six had illegally encroached on government land as well as built unauthorised structures. The owners of the remaining four houses contacted the government to schedule the mandatory inspections.

During another inspection of 24 houses on Wednesday, inspectors entered eight premises, out of which at least seven were suspected to unlawfully occupy government land or built unauthorised structures.

The owners of another 14 houses contacted the government to arrange inspections. Authorities plan to apply for warrants to allow inspectors to enter the remaining two houses, according to the government.

Suspected illegal structures found at 70 homes out of 85 at Hong Kong’s Redhill

The inspection had covered 34 houses as of Friday noon.

Offending householders are required to submit a demolition proposal to the government within 30 days and complete the work within 150 days, a government spokesman said, adding authorities would begin prosecution against owners who failed to comply with the orders without reasonable excuse.

Luxury home in landslide-hit Redhill Peninsula sells for half its 2017 price

Offenders face a maximum fine of HK$200,000 (US$25,575) and one year behind bars. They can also be fined HK$20,000 for each day they fail to comply with the order.

Hong Kong authorities earlier uncovered rampant abuse of building laws at the luxury estate. An inspection of 85 houses was ordered by Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho in the wake of the landslide caused by the storm on September 7.

The downpour exposed unauthorised structures at three seaside houses, No 70, 72 and 74, and that they occupied government land illegally.