{
  "id": 4530484,
  "title": "Tai Po fire: To sell or not to sell? As gov’t deadline looms, some owners still hope their homes can rise from the ashes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/tai-po-fire-to-sell-or-not-to-sell-as-govt-deadline-looms-some-owners-4530484",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T23:50:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/08/31/tai-po-fire-to-sell-or-not-to-sell-as-govt-deadline-looms-some-owners-still-hope-their-homes-can-rise-from-the-ashes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the government's deadline for accepting a buyout scheme in the Tai Po fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court approaches, some homeowners remain adamant about not selling their homes. Betty Ho, who has lived in the area for 35 years, remains determined to see the estate rebuilt on its original site rather than accept a cash payout or a new government-subsidised unit. Despite the government's deadline for accepting the offer expiring on Monday afternoon, 1,984 households still have time to decide. An independent committee has been working to determine the cause of the fire that killed 168 people and displaced thousands. Some residents fear that refusing to sell their property could result in being treated like \"nail houses\" – individuals who refuse to move, often facing legal battles and isolation. Anthony Cheung, a public administration scholar, warns that legislation for compulsory acquisition could be challenged in court and must prove a public purpose in order to override private property rights.",
  "summary": "Betty Ho is adamant that she will not sell her flat in Wang Fuk Court under a government buyout scheme that is due to expire on Monday afternoon. Nine months have passed since the blaze that killed 168 people and displaced thousands from the Tai Po housing estate. An independent committee is still preparing its […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Tai Po fire: To sell or not to sell? As gov’t deadline looms, some owners still hope their homes can rise from the ashes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/tai-po-fire-to-sell-or-not-to-sell-as-govt-deadline-looms-some-owners",
        "published": "2026-08-30T23:50:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}