Assistance provided by the Home Affairs Department to Owners
The Home Affairs Department (HAD) always encourages owners to form appropriate residents' organisations, such as OCs to facilitate effective building management. To assist owners to better manage their buildings, staff of the DBMLTs in each district will -
(1)
visit owners of private buildings in the district to promote the good practices of building management;
(2)
advise the convenor and owners on the procedures of the formation of an OC;
(3)
issue an exemption certificate to the convenor, who is the owner appointed by the owners of not less than 5% of the shares in aggregate under section 3(1)(c) of the BMO, for obtaining a free copy of land record of the building from the Land Registry for the purpose of convening a meeting of owners to form an OC. Each building will only be issued with the exemption certificate once. Whether an OC is formed or not, the convenor shall return the land record to the relevant DO within 60 days after the issuance of the exemption certificate;
(4)
attend the meeting of owners for the formation of an OC and give advice on the procedures for the appointment of an MC;
(5)
process applications made to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs for an order to convene a meeting of owners under section 3A of the BMO;
(6)
where legal issues are involved on the formation of an OC, refer owners to the Free Legal Advice Service on Building Management for preliminary legal advice from volunteer solicitors by appointment. Free Legal Advice Service is provided by the HAD in collaboration with the Law Society of Hong Kong;
(7)
produce booklet on the procedures of the formation of an OC, and provide samples of documents and forms required for the purpose of forming an OC.