HDB living….
Ξ August 23rd, 2005 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Uncategorized |
So, on 21st August at about 2:32am…. some PREMAS/HDB guy decided to issue me with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.
What happened was that I parked the car at the Loading/Unloading bay (LUB) so that I can get all the things from the hungry ghosts praying the night before, up to my unit. And as every Chinese should know, those items are easily over 10kg!
After everything is settled, I went downstairs again, wanting to shift the car to the carpark, and lo-and-behold… a summon….
So, I wrote in to appeal,
<my home address>
August 21, 2005
HDB
Jurong West Branch
email: buwadmin@hdb.gov.sg
To Whom It May Concern:
Subject: NOIP #<notice number>
Dear Sir/Mdm,
I am writing with reference to the above NOIP, for an appeal to write off.
On the evening of 20th of August (Saturday), it was prayers day for the Hungry Ghost festival at my dad’s office. And as per normal with any similar kind of prayers all over Singapore, we go home with pails of canned foods, oil, rice, and other items offered for the prayers.
After the ending of the prayers, I drove my parents back to their home in <location>, and my 18months old baby fell asleep, only to wake up at about 1:30am crying for milk. This was the chance where I can finally bring him and my wife back to our own home at <location>, without intentionally waking him up.
When I reached my block, I stopped the vehicle at the “LOADING/UNLOADING bay” at Block <blk number>, since there were no such bays at Block <blk number>.
As you may now notice, we have loads of items to carry, in addition to a 15kg baby, crying for food. My wife had to carry him, and I had to carry the other items. And we had chosen to stop at the “LOADING/UNLOADING bay” to do the unloading, instead of choosing the convenience of stopping the vehicle closer to our block.
When baby was fed and all the items were stocked properly, I went downstairs, wanting to transfer the car to the carpark, and I already notice the NOIP.
I hope you will have some leniency and write off the NOIP since I stopped the vehicle at the “LOADING/UNLOADING bay” for the purpose of unloading. And you cannot expect me to leave my wife carrying the baby and with so many other items up to our unit all alone, right?
My vehicle number is <vehicle number>.
Once more, I would like to thank you for reading this appeal and I hope that the appeal will be approved.
If you require further information, or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me at <mobile number> or e-mail me at <email address>
Best regards,
Wee Hang Yong
=====
and look at what they wrote…
HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Your Ref :
Our Ref :
Date : 23 Aug 2005
TEL : 64778805
FAX :
EMAIL : lsh9@hdb.gov.sg
Wee Hang Yong
Singapore
Dear Wee Hang Yong
<notice number> <vehicle number> (Email)
We refer to your e-mail of 22 Aug 05.
2 We wish to reiterate that the loading and unloading bay (LUB) provided by
HDB along the service road is only meant for loading and loading
purposes. This activity must be an ongoing process and the vehicle must
not be left unattended. This is to ensure that others are not deprived
from the usage of these bays.
3 We do not immediately issue the Notice of Intended Prosecution to the
vehicle found parked at the loading/unloading bay. The notice will only be
issued after confirmation that there is no loading/unloading activity in
progress.
4 We would like to assure you that we do exercise flexibility when taking
action against vehicles parked at the loading/unloading bays. Our records
show that you have committed several similar offences previously and we
have waived the offences after considering the circumstances of the case.
5 We have considered your case carefully. However, we regret to inform you
that we are unable to cancel the Notice of Intended Prosecution as this is
a repeated offence. Please make arrangement to pay the composition fine as
stated in the Notice within seven days from the date of this email.
Yours sincerely
<<<Signed electronically>>>
LAI SOCK HAR (MS)
SENIOR EXECUTIVE ESTATES OFFICER
JURONG WEST BRANCH OFFICE
HOUSING ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. If
you are not the intended recipient, you must not copy, distribute or use it
for any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person. Please
notify the sender immediately if you receive this in error. Visit our
website at http://www.hdb.gov.sg
HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD, HDB HUB, 480 LORONG 6 TOA PAYOH SINGAPORE
310480. TEL: 64901111
=========
My reply:
Dear Tuminah/Lai Sock Har,
cc: Mr John Chen (MP Hong Kah GRC), MR ANG MONG SENG (Chairman Hong Kah GRC),
I would like to bring to your attention that at 2+am in the morning, with a 18th month old baby, and more than 10kgs of items to be carried up to my unit, is an impossible task for my 45kg wife alone.
I understand the purpose of the Loading/Unloading Bay (LUB), and the service roads. But please enlighten me, on how is anyone supposed to be performing the loading/unloading task continuously, at the bay, followed by not leaving the vehicle there unattended to bring the items to their units, when the items in question are as stated above.
From your explanation in (2), it seems to me that you expect me to leave everything to my wife, and I drive off to park the vehicle, first, leaving her with a hungry-crying 18month old baby all alone, at 2+ in the morning, before walking back to them after parking the vehicle, 300m horizontally away (excluding the turns I have to make up the car park).
Of course, the notice will be issued only when the vehicle is not attended, else, you would not have the chance to issue it at all. And let me inform you that I have personally seen PREMAS/HDB people coming in the middle of the night issuing notices, and leaves the location within 5mins, without waiting to see how long is the vehicle left unattended. So, please enlighten me on what kind of leniency are you practicing. YES, PREMAS/HDB ISSUES THE NOTICES IMMEDIATELY! (I assume you are ill-informed of this, but please do not give me any excuses as I can easily film their activities on tape as proof to my claims).
In the middle of the night, at 2+am in the morning, with a hungry crying baby, and more than 10kgs of items to carry, and you expect my 45kg wife to carry everything up on her own? You must be kidding me. I think for carrying all items, walk 50m to the lift, and then 14 levels up to my unit, followed by making milk for my baby, feeding the baby, and keeping myself awake enough to negotiate the narrow turns with a 5m long car, in the multi story carpark, 30 mins is a very very reasonable timing, don’t you think? I definitely do not want to cause any injuries to anyone or vehicles within the 300m drive from the LUB to the car park, inevitably causing more problems to common properties, just to satisfy something that is written in a book, kept somewhere in the HDB building.
Rest that it is a repeated “offence”, but please let me highlight to you that if I had the intention to park the vehicle at the Service Road, I would have chosen to park at a location much closer to my block, instead of parking the vehicle 50m away from my lift. And if you think that I am trying to save a few dollars by parking at the bay for the night instead of the car park, why have you not been able to issue a notice to me everytime PREMAS/HDB comes by?
If you have seriously gone through the 3 or 4 notices that you have ever issued to me, since I started staying here for the last 2 years, you will notice that they all pertains to the LUB, and not the double yellow line. Many others would have gotten more speeding tickets than me getting notices from you within the same time frame.
Everytime I receive a notice near my block, it is because I tried be a law abiding citizen, not parking at a double yellow line, but insisted to park at the LUB to do exactly what it is meant for – loading/unloading. And by you insisting on the fine, it indicates that you have pronounced me guilty. This just makes one wonder, whats the difference if I instead had broken the law by parking along the double yellow line, since the fine is the same, and saves me the walking distance!
The only time when I parked the vehicle at along the service road (double yellow line) and got a notice, I immediately made the payment, because its my fault, and I recognise it. You can verify it with your records, if you do not trust my words.
And for your information, every 1st and 15th of the lunar month, the service road is so filled with cars and lorries in the evening till early next morning, due to people coming by to the 8th floor of block <blk number>’s in-house temple. But never was once anyone booked for parking then, even though they broke every single rule in the the usage guidelines of service roads and LUBs listed by HDB. Why is it so? I have seen PREMAS/HDB personnel coming by about the same timining on other days, but they somehow “disappears” on such days. WHY?
Maybe I am just unlucky that whenever I stop the vehicle at the bay to do my loading/unloading, followed by bringing them up to my unit, your guys come by, and issue me a notice. But comparing the above paragraph and to my “offences”, you are definitely not applying your leniency to me subjectively. But instead, referenced it to the past, and “pronounced me guilty”. (please note the Yellow Ribbon campaign that is being pushed by the government currently)
I hereby am asking you once more to reconsider the appeal, and with a open mind, instead of bringing in the past.
I am attaching my appeal letter in this mail for the benefit of the MPs of Hong Kah GRC, together with a map showing the location of the LUB, the lift to my block and also the distance.
Best regards,
Wee Hang Yong
