Yishun resident convicted after failing to pay town council charges since 2017
SINGAPORE — A Housing Board resident who stopped paying service and conservancy charges because she was unhappy with Nee Soon Town Council found herself in court over unpaid bills amounting to $565.50.
Chan Geok Eng failed to pay town council fees from March 2017 to July 2018.
Despite getting letters of demand, she stopped paying the charges because the town council did not carry out her wishes to dispose of shoes and potted plants that her neighbours had placed along the common corridor.
To date, Chan owes the town council $3,040.70, according to a court judgment regarding her conviction that was published on March 16.
Under the Town Councils Act, the owner or tenant of a flat who fails to pay charges or interest owed to the town council within 14 days from the date a written demand is served on him can be fined up to $1,000.
Chan, who was self-represented, was found guilty of the offence following a trial.
In the judgment, District Judge Wong Li Tein noted that the failure to pay town council charges was a strict liability offence.