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Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Housing agency warns of 'housing scam' anew
THE Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) in the Cordilleras has warned the public anew, especially those availing of socialized housing schemes, to check with their office if the concerned company was issued a license to engage in such endeavor.
This developed after one company engaged in community mortgage program is reportedly using some city government offices to make it appear that its operation is legitimate.
As early as June this year, HLURB Regional Director Rebecca Torres wrote to warn Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon that Vicinage Territories Realty Corp or the Hazelwood Grove Homeowners Association is using his office allegedly to hoodwink the public into believing that it is licensed to sell lots to informal settlers in Baguio City.
This developed after a weekly paper here released a photo of the mayor and leaders of Hazelwood, where the city executive was apparently endorsing the project.
"We are very concerned that your esteemed office is being used in peddling false information for the acquisition of socialized housing units through the community mortgage program (CMP) of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC). There is also a misrepresentation in the sense that the CMP of the aforementioned agency (Vicinage Territories Realty Corporation) was designed to give chance to those belonging to the informal sector of the community to be able to legally acquire the land where they have erected or are planning to erect their houses. It is very clear from the title and the caption of the published photo that the target buyers are the general public and not the informal sector," Torres said.
This as she revealed that the Hazelwood Grove Homeowners Association is not a duly registered homeowners association at the HLURB and that Vicinage, the supposed community developer, is not included in the list of NHMFC.
Hazelwood or Vicinage is reportedly collecting from would-be members P1,000 to P5,000 as membership fee.
But Torres, in the same letter, said the mere collection of membership fees is a violation of Presidential Decree 957 or the Subdivision and Condominium Buyers Protective Buyers Decree.
The published photo, Torres added, is now being "used to convince residents that their project has the blessing of the City Government."
Vicinage is reportedly developing an area in Barangay Lucnab.
In an interview with Laary No-ol, head of the HLURB legal division over the weekend, he told Sun.Star that despite several communications to Vicinage, which advised them to present pertinent documents relative to their operation, the corporation reportedly has yet to comply.
The only documents submitted to them are photocopies of their Securities and Exchange Commission registration certificate, community tax certificate, and a Bureau of Internal Revenue certificate.
But No-ol said the documents do not license Vicinage to "sell" lots.
He said while Vicinage denied "selling" because what was collected are membership fees, he said Presidential Decree (PD) 705 still considers this form of collection as selling.
"A privilege given to a member of a cooperative, corporation, partnership or any association and/or issuance of a certificate or receipt evidencing or giving the right of participation in, or right to, any land in consideration of payment of the membership fee or dues shall be deemed a sale," No-ol said, quoting a portion of PD 705. (R)(RO)
(October 25, 2005 issue)
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