Singapore condo managers ordered to pay S$10,978 in termite case
Why it matters: The ruling appears to be Singapore’s first reported case tying condo management duties to termite prevention in common areas.
A Singapore court ordered the management corporation of Freesia Woods condominium to compensate a couple after termites damaged their unit, finding the infestation stemmed from failures in the estate’s common property. Deputy Principal District Judge Chiah Kok Khun awarded Glenford Tan Ming Loon and Vivien Loo Hwee-Wen S$10,978 for repairs and ordered the management corporation strata title to pay more than S$42,000 in legal costs and disbursements. The judge found subterranean termites had nested in ground soil on the property and rejected the management’s argument that an allegedly unauthorized kitchen installation created damp conditions that led to the damage. The judgment was published July 15 and was described as the first reported Singapore case on an MCST’s duty to maintain common property in relation to termite prevention.