A Taipei resident on Friday found his home knocked down after returning from a meeting at the Taipei Urban Regeneration Office to discuss an urban renewal project for the building in which he had been living.
The man, surnamed Chang (張), a holdout in the project, said he returned to what would have been his home on Changan W Road at about noon, following a meeting with representatives of project contractor SWJ Construction Co (欣偉傑建設).
Chang, who lived on the fourth floor, said the building had collapsed and accused SWJ of tearing down his home.
Photo: CNA
Chang said that after he left the meeting, in which the two sides failed to reach an agreement, he was hit by a scooter and had to go to a police station to give an account of the accident, which he said was a ploy by the firm to stall him.
SWJ president Cheng Ko-shi (鄭可熙) said the company did not mean to tear down Chang’s home, but only the first three floors, whose owners had agreed to the renewal project.
Chang demanded NT$120 million (US$3.87 million) to vacate the building, which was far higher than what the home was worth, he said.
Photo: CNA
The firm is willing to pay Chang about NT$30 million, Cheng added.
He said the company in June last year had been granted a demolition permit from the office, as 98 percent of homeowners in the area agreed to the urban renewal project.
Chang denied Cheng’s claim, saying he had priced his home higher than its market value as a bargaining tactic.
Chang’s lawyer said he would file a suit against the firm for trespassing and causing damage.
The office said the demolition was legal, as SWJ had obtained construction and demolition permits according to Article 34 of the Urban Renewal Act (都市更新條例).
Office chief engineer Chang Li-li (張立立) said the office had no prior knowledge of the demolition, which he said was “regrettable.”
He said the company should have ensured that sufficient communication had taken place before it tore the building down.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said the city government’s role in private urban renewal projects is to issue demolition permits in accordance with the law.
The way SWJ tore down Chang’s home is controversial, he said, adding that he had instructed the Taipei Department of Urban Development to redouble efforts to publicly explain the procedure for urban renewal projects.
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
TECH CORRIDOR: Technology centers and science parks in the south would be linked, bolstering the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a “Southern Silicon Valley” project to promote the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industry in Chiayi County, Tainan, Pingtung County and Kaohsiung. The plan would build an integrated “S-shaped semiconductor industry corridor” that links technology centers and science parks in the south, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday after a Cabinet meeting. The project would bolster the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries, she said. The proposed tech corridor would be supported by government efforts to furnish computing power, workforce, supply chains and policy measures that encourage application and integration
RSS