Reimbursement of Surveyors' Fee

This website briefly outlines the Housing Society's principles in the reimbursement of surveyors' fee to owners affected by urban renewal projects.

Owners may employ the service of a surveyor to provide valuation and independent advice in response to the purchase offers made by the Housing Society. The Housing Society is prepared to pay professional fees as described below (without interest) provided agreement for sale is reached within the offer period and the sale and purchase of the property completed. The payment will be limited to the engagement of one professional firm of surveyors for each purchase offer.

The Housing Society has appointed seven independent surveyor firms by tender to provide advice on the value of a notional seven year-old replacement flat. The unit rate offered is derived from the weighted average of the seven independent valuations. The Housing Society will reimburse owners' surveyor fees for assessments of open market value only, excluding any Home Purchase Allowance, Supplementary Allowance or Ex-gratia allowance. Such fees are chargeable according to Scale 2.1 of the "Scale of Professional Charges for General Practice Services in Hong Kong" (scale of charges) issued by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (HK Branch) in October 1995.

The following sets out the basis upon which the Housing Society is prepared to pay fees:

1.	Where an owner obtains valuation and independent advice from a firm of surveyors on the purchase offers made by the Housing Society, the Housing Society will pay fees on the basis of 1.5 times the full Scale 2.1 fee described above subject to a minimum payment of HK$5,000.

2.	Under very special circumstances, for complex cases and with the prior agreement of the Housing Society, surveyor fees may be paid in accordance with the scale of charges in Scale 1.8 (time charges). Supporting documents such as a schedule of the time involved in the case and the level of surveying staff involved in the various aspects of the work of a reasonable scale, having regard to the nature and value of the property should be submitted to the Housing Society for verification and determination.

The valuation report prepared by owner's consultant should be signed by a Registered Professional Surveyor (General Practice Division) (RPS(GP)) or Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, General Practice Division (MHKIS(GP)). A list of all surveyor firms that consist of at least one full time RPS(GP) or MHKIS(GP) has been provided by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and is enclosed (Annex B) for your information. To facilitate processing, the valuation report should be submitted to the Housing Society at least 14 days prior to the expiry of the offer period whether or not such offer is accepted by the owner. The Housing Society reserves the right not to entertain the fee payment request if the report is not submitted before the date above described or the report submitted does not cover the relevant items in the sample report as per Annex A.

The Housing Society will pay fees direct to the firms who have been appointed by the registered owners of the property. This will streamline processing and save the owners from having to make a claim after payment. Owners should not, therefore, pay their surveyors and then seek payment later. Owners should ask their surveyors to forward invoices to the Housing Society for direct payment.

Please be reminded that the Housing Society merely pays fees incurred by the registered owner of the property as the client and therefore, fee notes should not be submitted direct to the Housing Society. In other words, the account must be in the name of the owners or their solicitors, not in the name of the Housing Society, and accompanied by a confirmation that the surveyors' services have been satisfactorily discharged. For avoidance of doubt, the following is highlighted for reference in seeking payment of surveyors' fee:

1.	A full valuation report, with a copy of the surveyor firm service appointment letter signed by the registered owner, should have been submitted to the Housing Society 14 days prior to the expiry of the offer period; and

2.	A debit note for payment with breakdown figures should be submitted together with a letter signed by the registered owner confirming satisfactory provision of service.