Tai Po fire: 13 Wang Fuk Court owners refuse gov’t buyout as 99% agree to sell

Thirteen owners at the fire-stricken Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have missed the government's deadline to join an official buyout program, while the majority of households in the area have agreed to sell their properties. The deadline passed on Monday for owners to sign and return a letter of acceptance, expressing their desire to trade their flats for a cash payment or a new flat in a government-subsidised estate.

Wang Fuk Court, once home to 1,984 families, was reduced to rubble in a deadly fire last November, claiming 168 lives. Initially, 1,971 households had submitted acceptance letters, accounting for 99.3% of the total. Of these, 1,595 owners – making up 80.9% of the affected residents – proceeded to sign formal sale and purchase agreements with government-appointed estate managers.

The government has pledged to push ahead with the acquisition of the remaining unsold titles, but no extensions to the deadline were announced. Several homeowners, including Betty Ho, have refused to sell their flats to the government, arguing that such a move would "rob" residents of their private property and potentially lead to the creation of new laws that could "completely ruin Hong Kong".

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, who oversees the government task force responsible for providing long-term housing solutions, hinted that the government could begin the legislative process for procuring unsold titles as early as next year. However, Wong cautioned that if the government resorted to legislation, the compensation offered would be considerably lower than the buyout scheme that expired on Monday.

The government had initially offered HK$8,000 or HK$10,500 per square foot, contingent on whether the homeowner had paid land premiums.