A New Year, but the same old problems at Cambridge Village.
But maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) see fit to fine the developer Empire East Land Holdings Inc (EELHI) fines reflecting the severity of the unauthorised selling at Cambridge Village.
Fines totalling nearly 46 and a half million peso's were handed out to the developer. This is the result of years of unauthorised selling, years of the developer failing to comply with or follow the laws of the land and the orders of HLURB.
Yet even with the 8th Cease and Desist Order in place, yet despite these large fines, the developer continues to sell this project. What does it take for the law to be upheld? Surely, if the developer continues to ignore the laws of the land, and the orders of the government agency responsible for land development, then the only course of action is to shut them down!
If any company is found to be guilty of breaking the law and for several years, then how is it allowed to continue trading? If the company is found guilty of breaking the law, and again continues to break the law, then how are you allowed to continue on trading? It is not that Cambridge Village is the only project that EELHI is currently developing, but even its other projects have Cease and Desist orders, and no License to Sell or Certificate of Registration. So obviously the developer has a problem with following and the very act of compliance with the laws of the land and government agency orders.
Yet whilst HLURB endeavours to do something about a developer who refuses to comply with their orders, what about the ripple effect within the Philippines and the Philippines Stock market (PSE) itself?!
EELHI uses its unauthorised sales information, furnishing its stock holders and the PSE with its unauthorised sales. Of course it does not tell anyone that they are selling without authority, it seems a sale is a sale, even if it is done illegaly. Further, EELHI has the audactity to advise its stock holders that it is compliant with all laws and orders in relation to land development!
So how is a company allowed to trade when it lies, cheats, and defrauds its own customers? EELHI has no morals, no ethics, it would lead you to believe that it is a professional outfit, with the interests of its customers at heart. But this company operates on law breaking, deception and greed. Once it has got your money, the interests of the customer is its last concern. How would you account for a company that sells without authority, and charges illegal miscellaneous fee's blackmailing the buyer to pay these fee's or there will be no transfer of title of ownership! This is knowing full well that HLURB has told the Register of Deeds not to transfer titles of ownership as the developer is selliong without authority!
Further, we have now seen evidence where EELHI is now charging miscellaneous fee's as the Register of Deeds has now included an IT service charge. EELHI charges 5,210 peso's for a service which we are sure costs nothing like that! EELHI uses their miscellaneous charges as a way to get more money out of the client, using the transfer of title of ownership as the bait. But PD957, says no liens or encumbrances can be used in conjunction with transferring title of ownership. maybe EELHI would like to explain how they consider their miscellaneous charges as something to actually do with the transfer of titles. I have seen such charges including notary and admin fee's, meter and billing fee's etc. What have these got to do with getting a transfer of title? EELHI still use miscellaneous charges to get more money out of its clients, even though it has no License to Sell?
This is ESTAFA, it is large scale fraud and deception, and yet they are still allowed to get away with it. Is the Philippines trying to get to the top of the corrupt country ladder? If it continues to allow developers such as EELHI to trade in this manner, then surely soon the Philippines will be known as "number one". Number one most corrupt one most corrupt country in the world.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
THE CONTINUING SAGA, THE SCAM, THE FRAUD, THE DECEIT THAT IS CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE
A Happy New Year to everyone. Its 2012, a new year, a new start, and what have we in store at Cambridge Village?
Well the New Year still saw Empire East Land Holdings Inc still selling units here without a License to Sell, so nothing new there. Still the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board fail to take appropriate action against the developer, Empire East Land Holdings Inc, "the Beast".
So why no action? Well HLURB is busy investigating itself, trying to find out why it has allowed the developer for several years to continue breaking the law. Well, the Beast has been instructed now for over 6 years now not to sell, and it is still selling strong. No wonder, when its only deterrent is pitiful fines from HLURB. 10,000 pesos per unauthorised sale, and HLURB has mustered up fining the Beast a total of some 37 units. With sales over some 3,000 units, and only 621 of those being legal, HLURB is a long way off the mark. But they will sit there, waiting for the Beast to furnish them with sales figures, letting the Beast drag everything out, and still not stopping the ever increasing sales.
Where is the action? Why has HLURB failed to do its job? Well why HLURB investigates itself, we have been told of the "pay offs", so no wonder that no one listens to our complaints. It is pay offs at all levels, corruption is healthy and well in the Philippines.
Yet President Noynoy is trying to rid the Philippines of its corrupt tag. No chance. Whilst GMA may be the target at the moment, what about everybody else? Andrew Tan is the President of Alliance Global, Megaworld Corporation, Empire East Land Holdings Inc, he owns the lot, but it seems at what cost! The Department of Justice is already investigating the issue of Iloilo airport, its a GMA and Andrew Tan connection, but does it stop there. It seems during GMA's presidency there are many questionable land purchases through Megaworld. Favourtisim, or is it corruption?
Even Cambridge Village it seems comes under the GMA and Andrew Tan allegiance. In a Philippines Star feature, 26th July 2003, Megaworld/Empire East announce the joint venture between Daewoo Engineering and Construction and Empire East over the condominium project to be known as Cambridge Village. A project, whose agreement is signed during GMA's state visit to Korea. So did GMA have some form of involvement in this most corrupt of developments?
The corruption, the lies, the cheating and the stealing has been evident at all levels. It started from day one, from the very start the project started. In fact, the developer, again through the Philippine Star, announces to the world its plans for Cambridge Village. It is in negotiations with Daewoo, the project will be 50 clusters, it will be 4,500 units, and it will be completed by 2007. Lies, lies and more lies. Residents only started moving into the very first units in 2007. In fact, by 2007, the developer still had its only ever License to Sell for 621 residential units and 94 commercial units. So, 4,500 units to be built by 2007, they will be lucky to do that by 2017. Infact by 2007 the developer was still struggling to build the first 8 clusters of the project!!
Even then, most of us buyers are not even made aware of a project to this scale. In 2009 I was told Cambridge Village was to be a 28 cluster development, yet in 2003 they were talking about 50. But the developer has not even negotiated for the land to do this project, and then there is questions over the land ownership on the land that they bought anyway! So what is the developer up to? How big is Cambridge Village to be? One thing for sure, the developer is not spending any money to improve the amenities and the facilites that currently exist, facilities that may be adequate for 28 clusters, but no more than that.
So Cambridge Village, a possible 4,500 unit community. With no playground, no school, and plenty of empty residential and commercial units. With minimal facilites and amenities, which the developer retains ownership of. With no residents association, and an association that exists under the control of the developer. What is the future of Cambridge Village? One thing is for sure, the developer will retain control of the project for years to come, and the residents will have to suffer that. With little or no support at barangay level, municipal government level, and national governmental level, if you buy into Cambridge Village, you really are left on your own.
If you are looking at investing money on a condominium in the Philippines, give Cambridge Village a wide berth. In fact, the way the realty market is over here, and with HLURB failing to keep control on it, you really are better off not investing your money. You are better off buying land and building your own property. Buyers beware of condominiums, beware of Megaworld, and certainly the Beast.
Well the New Year still saw Empire East Land Holdings Inc still selling units here without a License to Sell, so nothing new there. Still the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board fail to take appropriate action against the developer, Empire East Land Holdings Inc, "the Beast".
So why no action? Well HLURB is busy investigating itself, trying to find out why it has allowed the developer for several years to continue breaking the law. Well, the Beast has been instructed now for over 6 years now not to sell, and it is still selling strong. No wonder, when its only deterrent is pitiful fines from HLURB. 10,000 pesos per unauthorised sale, and HLURB has mustered up fining the Beast a total of some 37 units. With sales over some 3,000 units, and only 621 of those being legal, HLURB is a long way off the mark. But they will sit there, waiting for the Beast to furnish them with sales figures, letting the Beast drag everything out, and still not stopping the ever increasing sales.
Where is the action? Why has HLURB failed to do its job? Well why HLURB investigates itself, we have been told of the "pay offs", so no wonder that no one listens to our complaints. It is pay offs at all levels, corruption is healthy and well in the Philippines.
Yet President Noynoy is trying to rid the Philippines of its corrupt tag. No chance. Whilst GMA may be the target at the moment, what about everybody else? Andrew Tan is the President of Alliance Global, Megaworld Corporation, Empire East Land Holdings Inc, he owns the lot, but it seems at what cost! The Department of Justice is already investigating the issue of Iloilo airport, its a GMA and Andrew Tan connection, but does it stop there. It seems during GMA's presidency there are many questionable land purchases through Megaworld. Favourtisim, or is it corruption?
Even Cambridge Village it seems comes under the GMA and Andrew Tan allegiance. In a Philippines Star feature, 26th July 2003, Megaworld/Empire East announce the joint venture between Daewoo Engineering and Construction and Empire East over the condominium project to be known as Cambridge Village. A project, whose agreement is signed during GMA's state visit to Korea. So did GMA have some form of involvement in this most corrupt of developments?
The corruption, the lies, the cheating and the stealing has been evident at all levels. It started from day one, from the very start the project started. In fact, the developer, again through the Philippine Star, announces to the world its plans for Cambridge Village. It is in negotiations with Daewoo, the project will be 50 clusters, it will be 4,500 units, and it will be completed by 2007. Lies, lies and more lies. Residents only started moving into the very first units in 2007. In fact, by 2007, the developer still had its only ever License to Sell for 621 residential units and 94 commercial units. So, 4,500 units to be built by 2007, they will be lucky to do that by 2017. Infact by 2007 the developer was still struggling to build the first 8 clusters of the project!!
Even then, most of us buyers are not even made aware of a project to this scale. In 2009 I was told Cambridge Village was to be a 28 cluster development, yet in 2003 they were talking about 50. But the developer has not even negotiated for the land to do this project, and then there is questions over the land ownership on the land that they bought anyway! So what is the developer up to? How big is Cambridge Village to be? One thing for sure, the developer is not spending any money to improve the amenities and the facilites that currently exist, facilities that may be adequate for 28 clusters, but no more than that.
So Cambridge Village, a possible 4,500 unit community. With no playground, no school, and plenty of empty residential and commercial units. With minimal facilites and amenities, which the developer retains ownership of. With no residents association, and an association that exists under the control of the developer. What is the future of Cambridge Village? One thing is for sure, the developer will retain control of the project for years to come, and the residents will have to suffer that. With little or no support at barangay level, municipal government level, and national governmental level, if you buy into Cambridge Village, you really are left on your own.
If you are looking at investing money on a condominium in the Philippines, give Cambridge Village a wide berth. In fact, the way the realty market is over here, and with HLURB failing to keep control on it, you really are better off not investing your money. You are better off buying land and building your own property. Buyers beware of condominiums, beware of Megaworld, and certainly the Beast.
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