UNFAIR SCARE TACTICS AT FARRER COURT

UNFAIR SCARE TACTICS AT FARRER COURT

By Joyce Lim

The New Paper, March 19, 2007

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UNFAIR SCARE TACTICS AT FARRER COURT
--Joyce Lim

HERE'S a devious way of getting people to sell their homes: Spread 'malicious' reports about the estate, alleging that it has bad fengshui and will bring misfortune and even death to residents.

That's what a small group of residents at Farrer Court, a leasehold condo estate off Farrer Road, are allegedly doing after news of a possible en bloc sale hit the estate.

Apparently, these residents have launched a 'bad publicity' campaign to ensure that the majority of the owners would not vote to block the sale.

For instance, in an anonymous 10 Mar letter obtained by The New Paper on Sunday, a resident claimed that his family's 'misfortunes' and some cases of suicides at the estate were caused by bad 'fengshui'.

He claimed his children often fell sick and did badly in school.

Claiming that he had consulted four fengshui masters, he alleged that the bad aura in the estate also caused him to have frequent traffic accidents, bad patches in his career and his wife's inability to conceive sons.

The anonymous resident concluded in his circular: 'We enjoy the convenience of this location, but we really have to go so that we can have better health, peace and harmony in the family, and maybe a boy child.'

The circular shocked some residents who said that the neighbourhood has always been peaceful.

RIDICULOUS

A resident who wanted to be known as only Mr Tawin said: 'Suicides happen everywhere, not just in Farrer Court. I find it ridiculous for anyone to send such a circular.'

The 49-year-old administrator added: 'We've always been a close-knit community. Many families may be divided after an en bloc sale.

'I sympathise with the old folks who have to go through this.'

Before the talk of an en bloc sale, residents said everyone loved the estate. It was 'nice and peaceful'.

A resident who declined to be named said: 'Now the ugly side of people have been revealed. Some people want to sell their units, some don't.

'The saddest part is that some people would do whatever they could to convince others to agree to sell.

'They turn ugly when their neighbours whom they have got along for many years refuse to sign on the collective sale agreement.'

Since the first anonymous letter 'Another Farrer Court Suicide - Why?' was sent out, a mini 'letter war' has erupted in the estate.

Another resident fired off a reply three days later, on 13 Mar, which was also circulated within the estate.

In this letter, the resident wrote: 'Why not append their names to the circular? After all, such nobility of purpose requires no secrecy.

'Instead they have chosen to risk offending those who do not subscribe to their faith in fengshui by imposing on them their lengthy and hypocritical information. How far or how low can you get?'

Then last Thursday, there was another letter. This writer accused the first letter writer of using a ploy to scare owners into selling their units.

The resident wrote in capital letters: 'For the goodness and well-being of yourself and your family, do not do all these despicable things to others. Money can never replace the well-being of your family. Consider the consequences.' Since last year, residents at the 30-year-old estate, which has eight blocks and 618 units, have been preparing for the collective sale.

Resident Madam Lee, who declined to reveal her real name, said that she is upset by how some of her neighbours have turned hostile after she told them that she has agreed to the collective sale.

Said Madam Lee, 70: 'Now I don't tell anyone about my decision to sell. Or else I would get neighbours who are against the sale staring hard at me at the lift lobbies or void decks.'

Added her friend, who co-owns the three-bedroom flat: 'It was a very difficult decision to make. We love this place but after serious considerations, we agreed that we should sell it.'

Madam Lee and her flatmate paid slightly more than $100,000 for the unit in 1976. They spent about $20,000 on renovation after they moved in.

An elderly resident, who only wanted to be known as Irene, said in Mandarin: 'I moved into Farrer Court eight years ago. I love cooking and I go to church. Nowhere in Singapore can I find a church and a wet market located minutes away from my flat.'

'I don't want to sell my home,' she added before slamming the phone.

But Mr Tan Quee Hong, who has been living there for 20 years, is hoping that he can become a millionaire.

'I've read many reports on collective sales elsewhere and I do envy those overnight millionaires,' said the 63-year-old retiree who lives with his wife in a 157-sq-m apartment.

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Another 10% must agree to en bloc deal

RESIDENTS who have agreed on the collective sale, told The New Paper on Sunday that they are hoping to get between $1.2 million and $1.4m per unit.

Credo Real Estate was appointed as its acting agent.

Last month, a 135 sq m unit at Farrer Court was sold for $870,000.

Mr Tan Hong Boon, executive director of Credo Real Estate, declined to confirm on the proposed collective sale price.

But he said that he has already received enquires from several developers regarding the site.

'We are not ready to launch it yet as we have only about 70 per cent of the 618 units agreeable to the collective sale.

'We need to get 80 per cent of the residents to agree before we can tender the project in the property market,' said Mr Tan who is in his 40s.

He added: 'Currently we are not able to get a true market value of the units at Farrer Court.

'Even though the last transacted price was above $800,000, the person who bought it could be speculating and willing to pay a premium for it.'

On the 'poison letter', he said that while he has not read it himself, he has heard about it from some of the residents.

Noting that such gimmick is not unusual in an en bloc sale, he said: 'Residents are always divided into two groups - those who want to sell and those who don't.

'I've had residents raise their voices and shut their doors in my face.

'Then there are those who welcome me into their homes and offer me lunches and dinners.'

Retiree David Lim who is in the sales committee, finds it hard to understand why some residents would reject such a good offer for their units.

Mr Lim, 60, said: 'I paid $580,000 for my unit six years ago. Now I can get $1.4m for it.'

Mr Lim said that those who are against the collective sale are not all elderly people.

Some are young owners who are hoping to get $2m for their units.