“Shocked and frustrated”: Woman charged $400 by building management for wheel shoe removal

SINGAPORE – After attending a Pilates class nearby, a woman returned to the car she had parked outside a building on River Valley Road and discovered that the car’s wheel was stuck.

Ms Elaine Ong received a shock as she had only been gone an hour and had gained access to the building’s parking lot after passing through a gantry.

To have the clamp removed from her car’s wheel, the 29-year-old was ordered, through a slip issued by Condominium Management Company (MCST) 325 – the management office of the Chiap Chuan building – to pay $400.

Ms Ong said of the incident on May 24, the building management told her the wheel of her car was stuck because she had parked illegally in the development.

In fact, the rear wheel of the vehicle was mounted on the sidewalk next to the designated parking space.

Photos she shared with The Straits Times on June 24 showed her car – with one wheel stuck – parked in a parking space, although its left rear wheel barely touched the line.

“It was so frustrating. There was no negotiation and the building management refused to release my car until I made payment.

“Eventually I called the police, who advised me to first pay the costs and then appeal, because management was adamant about not letting me go with a warning,” the analyst explained.

On the day of the incident, and after paying the fee, she sent an email to the Chiap Chuan building management office to file an appeal.

On June 7, a representative responded that the appeal would be discussed at a council meeting on June 11 and that she would be informed of the outcome.

But when Ms Ong subsequently tried to contact him three times, she received no response.

She said: “I am upset by the lack of transparency and accountability. This isn’t just a personal grievance… other vehicle owners might face the same problem. »

Contacted, the building management did not give details of the incident. Meanwhile, the representative who communicated with Ms Ong did not respond when ST attempted to contact him.

A consultation on the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) website presents a guide to strata management, intended to “help branches, council members and managing agents better manage their estates”.

This includes a sample list of common additional regulations established by MCSTs, including those that specify when wheel clamping devices would be used.

Such devices are typically used if an unauthorized vehicle is found on the premises, if a vehicle is parked in a particular parking space where it is not authorized to be, or if it is parked indiscriminately.

In response to questions, a BCA spokesperson said these regulations are developed by the MCSTs.

“These regulations may include where and how vehicles should be parked in the common areas of the development and the actions that would be taken by the MCST, including administrative costs that may be recovered by the MCST, if vehicles are parked in breach of the regulations,” the spokesperson added.