The Building Management (Amendment) Bill 2005 has been discussed for over two years and it was finally enacted after the third reading in Legislative Council as Building Management (Amendment) Ordinance 2007 on 25 April 2007.

After the new ordinance has been gazetted on 15 June 2007, HKPPSA arranged a seminar for its members including Chartered Institute of Housing, Asian Pacific Branch on 26 June 2007. Mrs Angelina Cheung JP, Assistant Director of Home Affairs Department, was invited as guest speaker on the topic. The seminar was held at KEC College Theatre, HKU SPACE Kowloon East Campus in Kowloon Bay. Mr Peter Ho, President of Hong Kong Institute of Real Estate Administration, delivered the welcome speech. Then representatives of HKPPSA including Mr Victor Chow, our Chairman, Mr Cliff Wong, President of The Hong Kong Institute of Housing, Mr Raymond Chan, Vice President of The Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies, together with Mr Peter Ho, presented the souvenir to Mrs Cheung and photos were taken.

There were about 300 members from HKPPSA attended the seminar on that day. Mrs Cheung briefed us mainly on the aims of the amendment ordinance and its key amendments e.g. formation of owners´ corporation, appointment of management committee members, meetings of owners´ corporation, appointment of proxy, procurement, display of notice about legal proceedings, financial arrangements for owners´ corporation and managers, etc., in detail. After that, there was a heated question and answer session between the audience and guest speaker. And it is really a very good opportunity for members to have the first hand information and explanation for the Building Management (Amendment) Ordinance 2007.

The new amendment ordinance will take effect from 1 August 2007. And Mrs Cheung reminded us that HAD has printed a number of new booklets and pamphlets detailing the changes from the original ordinance and important points for our practices, which are already available to the public for reference. Lastly, would like to inform that our Branch is organizing further legal seminars on this amendment ordinance and legal cases in property management. Do watch out for future notices.