BMW owner returns from Pilates class to find car stranded, shocked to have to pay $400 release fee

Aqil Hamzah
The Straits Era
June 29, 2024
After attending a Pilates class nearby, a woman returned to her car parked outside a building on River Valley Road to find that the wheel was stuck. The 29-year-old, who wished to be known only as Ms Ong, was shocked as she had only been out for an hour and had accessed the building’s car park by going through a gate. To have the wheel clamp removed from her car, the analyst was ordered, via a slip issued by the strata title company (MCST) 325 – the management office of the Chiap Chuan Building – to pay $400. Ms Ong said the incident happened on May 24 and was told by the building management that her car’s wheel had been stuck because she had parked illegally in the estate. Management told her it was because the vehicle’s rear wheel had mounted the kerb 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, even though its left rear wheel was touching the line.

“It was so frustrating. There was no negotiation and the building management refused to give me my car back until I made the payment,” the analyst said. “Eventually, I called the police, who advised me to pay the fee first and then appeal, as the management was adamant about not letting me off with a warning.” On the day of the incident – ​​and after paying the fee – she emailed the building management office Chiap Chuan to lodge an appeal. On June 7, a representative responded that the appeal would be discussed at a council meeting on June 11 and that Ms Ong would be informed of the outcome. But when Ms Ong subsequently tried to contact him three times, he received no response. She said: “I am upset by the lack of transparency and accountability. This is not just a personal grievance… other vehicle owners may face the same problem.” »

When contacted, the building management did not provide details on the incident. Meanwhile, the representative who contacted Ms Ong did not respond when ST tried to contact him. A check on the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) website shows a guide for strata management, which aims to “assist subsidiary owners, council members and managing agents to better manage their estates”. This includes a sample list of common supplementary regulations set by MCSTs, including those that specify when wheel clamps would be used. Such devices are commonly used if an unauthorised vehicle is found on the premises, if a vehicle is parked in a particular parking space that it is not authorised to be in, or if it is found to be parked indiscriminately. In response to queries, a BCA spokesperson said these regulations were developed by MCSTs. “Such regulations may include where and how vehicles are to be parked in the common areas of the development, and what action would be taken by the MCST, including administrative costs that could be recovered by the MCST, if vehicles are parked in the common areas of the development in breach of the bylaws,” the spokesperson added.