Free Outreach Legal Advice Service on Building Management *
Introduction
The general meeting of owners' corporation (OC) is an essential building management platform, which allows owners to discuss different building management matters and make important decisions by way of resolutions. To enhance the legal support for OCs in conducting OC meetings, the Home Affairs Department (HAD), in collaboration with the Law Society of Hong Kong, launched in September 2019 the Free Outreach Legal Advice Service on Building Management (FOLAS).
The FOLAS
Under the FOLAS, upon successful application, a lawyer experienced in handling building management matters will be assigned to the OC to provide free legal service, i.e. (i) attending the pre-meeting of the general meeting of the OC; (ii) reading relevant information about the meeting provided by the OC; and (iii) attending and giving legal advice at the meeting, for up to six hours.
Eligibility
OCs are required to meet the following four criteria to be eligible in applying for the FOLAS –
| Region | Average Rateable Value Per Annum | |
|---|---|---|
| (i) | Hong Kong Island | $258,000 |
| (ii) | Kowloon | $161,000 |
| (iii) | New Territories East (Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Tai Po and North Districts) |
$146,000 |
| (iv) | New Territories West (Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Islands Districts) |
$125,000 |
and
Application Date and Method
The OC shall pass a resolution to apply for the FOLAS at a management committee (MC) or an OC meeting and appoint one of the MC members as the Authorised Person to submit the application. The applicant shall submit the completed application form, a copy of the relevant minutes duly stamped with the seal or chop of the OC, and documents relevant to anticipated discussion items or items in dispute at least 28 days before the date of the scheduled OC meeting to the corresponding District Office (DO) of the building concerned, or may click here to register.
Details of the FOLAS are set out in the application guide, application form and rules for the FOLAS.
Applicant will normally be notified of the application status within 10 working days. If necessary, applicant may be required to provide additional information.
Enquiry
To learn more about the FOLAS, please contact the Secretariat of the FOLAS at 3107 3508.
* The service will NOT accept applications unrelated to disputes concerning the Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344) (BMO), the Codes of Practice under the BMO or the Deed of Mutual Covenant of the building, nor applications concerning water seepage.