Taipei City Construction Management Office

•Organization: Taipei City Construction Management Office •Section: Building Permit Section•Press Release Date: 2014-10-4Press Release Unit: Taipei City Construction Management OfficePress Release Date: 2014-10-4Contact: Assistant Chief Engineer, Chiu, Ying-CheTel.: 27258346Judicial decisions have determined that builders must pay compensation in the Tung-Hsin Building case. Taipei City Government stated that it would respect the verdict.Director of Taipei City Construction Management Office Kao Wen-Ting said that after the 921 earthquake, the Taipei City Government set up the "Taipei City Disaster Management Centre" immediately to launch relief efforts, completing rescue of 105 people and on-site clean-up within 10 days. Then efforts were divided into three directions: welfare, reconstruction and litigation. Former mayor Ma, former vice mayor Ou led the heads of relevant Departments and Offices to convene aftermath consultative meetings. Afterwards the ad hoc group for reconstruction was established again, holding a total of more than 80 meetings of various sizes. Rescue and rehabilitation work got under way quickly and persisted, while also assisting affected families in claiming compensation from builders. The Land Office at the time assisted through freezing the transfer of immovable property by relevant persons involved, in order to prevent the builders from hiding assets. Furthermore, donations from the private sector subsidized legal assistance for affected households to claim compensation from builders. The Taipei Bar Association also coordinated efforts to offer volunteer lawyers in assisting affected households file claims litigation against builders, in addition to assisting the affected households with applying to courts for declarations of death and handling death inheritance registration. On the part of social assistance and humanitarian care by the Taipei City Government, the Department of Social Welfare set up a "family service center" to help and care for affected households and their families, for the purpose of ensuring basic living rights of the affected households after the Tung-Hsin Building collapsed. A total of 729 staff members invested their time, meanwhile the cost of reconstruction, various social assistance payments and condolence payments, etc. were also allocated, amounting to more than NT$260 million. Affected households were also provided with assistance relating to medical care, schooling and economic aspects. Also from 1999 to 2003, Department of Social Welfare funded rituals praying for peace. Likewise, the Taipei City Government has repeatedly assisted affected households by reduction of their bank loan rates and extending repayment timelines.Director Kao, Wen-Ting further said that Department of Urban Development also assisted in drawing up various reconstruction programs, assisted households in promoting reconstruction issues towards most feasible direction and took the initiative to convene 38 consultation meetings to study and discuss reconstruction issues, changed urban planning ad hoc to relax the building coverage ratio and reduced parking spaces. During the reconstruction process, the department also assisted affected households in obtaining building materials at preferential prices. The Tung-Hsin Building’s reconstruction license was issued in 2002. Affected households having sent letters expressing gratitude regarding reconstruction progress.The Taipei City Government subsidized 2 years of rent for Tung-Hsin Building residents, 10 households rented public housing two years for free, a total of placement funds up to NT$14,893,000. Any affected households requesting legal help received assistance. In order to adequately deal with state compensation for the Tung-Hsin Building case, particularly established the ad hoc group to deliberate actively, seeking reconciliation program acceptable between the affected households of the Tung-Hsin Building. In 2006, on the basis of the judged amount by the High Court of second instance, and taking account of social fairness and justice, and in line with the principle of proportionality basis, appropriated NT$181,370,000, including NT$158,290,000 of loss compensation condolence payments, NT$23.08 million in goods and house damage compensation in settlements.Director of the Construction Management Office, Kao Wen-Ting, stressed that assisting affected households out of the shadow of the 921 earthquake disasters has always been a goal of the Taipei City Government’s efforts. Up until 4 June 2008, a total of 176 claims have been settled, having accomplished full reconciliation. Pertaining to the litigation judgment between affected households and builders, the city government empathized with affected households. The Taipei City Government stated that it would respect the results of judicial decisions.