Some 300 residents of troubled condominium The Grangeford said owner Cove Developments have no right to evict them since their rental leases were signed with another company.
Ideal Accomodation had been contracted to rent out the apartments but Cove said that has since been terminated.
The condominium came under the spotlight after the authorities found some 140 apartments converted into 600 units through illegal partitions.
It was supposed to be a meeting for Cove Developments to explain alternative accomodation which included those on shorter lease and hotel rooms at preferential rates at Meritus Mandarin.
But the residents wanted answers to other burning issues.
One resident said: “Since you’re chasing us away in 10 days, I think we should be talking about how to get back our compensation?”
Cove said they cannot guarantee the deposits and advanced rent payments, since the money was paid to Ideal Accomodation.
Residents walked out 30 minutes into the meeting but some came back for more answers.
One key issue was whether Cove, a subsidiary of UOB, had the right to ask residents to vacate, since the leases were signed with Ideal Accomodation.
Steven Ng, group company secretary, UOB Bank, said: “Cove developments have taken over these premises and we’re in the process of obtaining a court order to repossess this building.”
The company said it plans to demolish the building on 15 June. But some residents have heard different stories from Ideal Accomodation.
One resident said: “They’ve informed us that we can still stay up to 30 June and we can consume our deposit so they’ll not refund anything to us but we can consume it. And just right now Cove is telling us that their contract is terminated how can that be? Where are we going to stay?”
Some residents said they’ve paid deposits ranging from S$1200 to S$1800 for leases between three months to a year.
Another resident said: “I also know of some people who have paid six months rent because they had an offer that if you paid six months rent, you get half a month off or one month off.”
Residents are also putting up a petition to seek compensation from Ideal Accomodation and Cove Developments.
Lushhomemedia 
Cove have told the tenants that they have terminated the contract with Ideal just yesterday and offered people to rent the units or go to a hotel or leave. The problem is, what ever their intention is, they came to offer people to sell something for which those people already paid money! This is very very ugly. I was there. People are not refused to vacate, they have just refused to accept this ugly behavior from Cove.
Posted by milleplateaux | June 4, 2009, 3:26 pmwah. are you a tenant? how come they allowed u to be there?
Posted by sixpencepie | June 4, 2009, 11:28 pmyes, agree. The tenant’s agreement was signed with Ideal. Whatever dispute Cove has with Ideal, Cove has to solve it with Ideal, but not come and disturb the tenants who have no contract with them.
Cove claimed that they have no idea of the partitions. All that was not done in one or two day, but from Jan to Apr, why only until the project is completed in May and all rooms are rented out and occupied, then Cove come at this time to claim back the premises?
I agreed with milleplateaux, tenants are not refused to vacate, they just refused to accept this ugly behavior from Cove.
Ideal rented Grangeford from Cove from Jan 2009. One of the tenant who is renting the whole unit from Ideal from Jan this year said, the condo was just looks like an abandoned building after so long without care from the owner. Ideal refurbished the whole building and rented it out. The partitioning maybe wrong but it is just a matter that Ideal need time to make arrangement for tenants involved to move out and demolish the partition.
Posted by grangeford tenant | June 5, 2009, 1:34 amMy story is even better than yours and Ideal Accommodation is a shameless company cheating innocent people.
I was looking for a place to stay for one month before getting to my new place. Short leases are very difficult to get right now and I recalled I was told about this development a few months back. My wife went to see last week and was presented a master bedroom for $1,500. I said fine and we left them a deposit with a contract signed for entrance on 4 June, leave on 3 July.
I was not aware of all this story and the problems there… We went there yesterday (04 June) to move in and of course there was no one in the Ideal Accommodation office in the condo… only angry tenants who have all my sympathy. Ideal did not give the keys and does not refund the deposit they took from me last week!!! They said they would call me, of course this never happened. I went to their office in 322b King George Avenue next to Lavender: they do not reply, they do not speak (many are employees from PRC and don’t even speak english)… small potatoes covering the big fat pig who made his pockets full. The only answer was: go to see a lawyer, the boss is nowhere to be found. I encourage everyone who has a similar problem not to hesitate to bang at their door there AS THEY ARE THERE (THEY HIDE) and they probably will never refund the money of the deposits.
We have been cheated by Ideal since they offered us the accommodation last week and took the deposit, knowing very well they will never give it back. We did not benefit of even 1 day of rent and they don’t want to refund. Well, I have been to the police and filed a claim. I will not have any hesitation to go to a lawyer and take them to court… but hey, let’s be smart! If everyone joins forces, we will hit even stronger and harder.
Good luck for everyone else but if there is a petition of tenants to claim compensation then I am happy to join with everyone as this behaviour is INADMISSIBLE IN SINGAPORE. COMPANIES LIKE THIS -> BANNED AND PUNISHED!!!!
Ideal or Cove, responsibilities must be taken and fair compensation provided to victims.
Alex
Posted by Alex | June 5, 2009, 8:51 am