Squatter Reportedly Remained In MacPherson HDB Flat After Owner Passed Away, Piles Of Clutter Inside
Though Singapore might seem like an affluent country, we have a number of people who seem to have no place to go.
A woman has said that one of them squatted in her father’s flat in MacPherson after he passed away.
Source: Google Maps
The flat has also racked up about S$2,000 in utility bills, she added.
Flat owner passed away in Sep 2021
The woman, who declined to be named, told Shin Min Daily News that her 61-year-old father passed away in September 2021.
He left behind a three-room flat in Block 85 Circuit Road in the MacPherson area.
Source: Google Maps
However, she obtained the executive rights over the property only in April.
Her family had lived in the flat for at least 38 years, but she, her mother and siblings moved out in 2009 when her parents divorced.
They then lost contact with her father and found out about his death from the police.
Woman finds squatter in MacPherson flat
When the woman visited the flat, she found that a middle-aged man named “Mr Lu” was living there.
Over the past year, she said she left notes and made phone calls to inform him that he had to move out.
However, the man told the police that he was a relative of her father’s, she added.
Since he’d refused to cooperate, the woman made a police report on 12 Nov.
She also hired a locksmith to break into the flat.
Piles of clutter seen in flat
On 13 Nov, the locksmith sawed the gate open, accompanied by four police officers.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Nobody was found on the premises.
Upon entering the unit, it was observed that there were piles of clutter inside, including bicycles, Buddha statues and fans.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Insects crawled out of the unit, and there was also clutter outside the flat.
After changing the locks, the woman left a note for Mr Lu, telling him that all his items will be cleared and he should find somewhere else to live.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
S$2,000 in utility bills owed
More pressingly, the flat has racked up about S$2,000 in utility bills.
This is despite the supply being cut off in January.
The woman said she’d sought help from a number of parties, including the MP, over the situation.
However, it’s believed that the man didn’t satisfy certain conditions set by the authorities and had to find his own accommodation.
Squatter had lived in MacPherson flat for five years: Neighbour
Interestingly enough, it seems Mr Lu knew the woman’s late father, and was more of a tenant.
A neighbour told Shin Min that the man had actually lived in the flat for as long as five years.
In fact, before the flat owner passed away, the two would even go out together, she said.
However, she added that the deceased was seldom at home when he was alive.
As for the clutter, the neighbour said that it would stretch all the way to the staircase.
The town council sent workers to clear up once, leaving just some statues near the flat entrance.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News.
