Re: Reminder from Lands Department on handling land transactions

The Lands Department has recently launched a new set of Announcements in the Public Interest (“API”) to remind the general public, in particular land owners, of the losses and serious consequences relating to the erection or occupation of unauthorized structures in breach of land leases on private agricultural land and unlawful occupation of government land (including unlawful structures thereon). In this connection, the Lands Department reminds estate agency practitioners to pay attention to unauthorised or unlawful structures and unlawful occupation of government land in the course of processing land transactions particularly in the New Territories. The Estate Agents Authority would also like to remind licensees to note the above reminder, and advise their clients, including land owners, prospective purchasers or tenants, to seek the advice of authorized persons and legal professionals in case of doubt.

The abovementioned TV API of the Lands Department can be viewed at www.isd.gov.hk/eng/tvapi/14_dv13.html