Bar Association urges proxy cap, electronic voting to curb building bid-rigging

The Hong Kong Bar Association has recommended limiting the number of proxies a person can hold at homeowners’ meetings and implementing electronic voting to curb bid-rigging in large-scale maintenance projects. The association's chairman, Jose-Antonio Maurellet, expressed concerns about a government proposal to restrict owners’ representatives to relatives or other owners in the same estate.

Maurellet believes a more suitable approach would be to enhance transparency, such as requiring proxies to be submitted 96 hours in advance and displaying proxy arrangements before meetings. He also suggested property management companies should conduct random audits on proxy holders and report irregularities to the police. A proposed electronic voting system could reduce the number of proxies and increase participation.

In regards to the current limit on proxies, Maurellet stated it could be an appropriate safeguard, particularly for buildings with a high concentration of voting power. The Bar Association supports the government's tiered system for tiered committees, but adds that an affected owner should be able to seek directions from the Lands Tribunal to avoid decision paralysis.

The association also suggests the government should empower the tribunal to address exceptional circumstances related to owners' corporation meetings.