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A Hong Kong company has filed a lawsuit against the Buildings Department after an estimated US$6 million (~HK$47.05 million) worth of valuables, including gold and classic Rolex watches, were allegedly stolen from its office following a government-mandated demolition of illegal rooftop structures.
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Alleged failure to notify owners of closure order
The plaintiff, PC Fortune Company Limited, filed a writ in the High Court against the Building Authority regarding an office unit and its corresponding rooftop in the Shun Lee Commercial Building on Castle Peak Road in Cheung Sha Wan.
The company claims the government agency obtained a court order to seal off the premises over unauthorized structures last October without properly notifying the firm or its director.
The company director only discovered the closure order a week after it was granted by a District Court judge, as the department allegedly failed to send the notice to the company's registered address.
Demolition works lead to security breach
According to the court filing, the government did not need to seal off the main office unit to access the roof.
The plaintiff claims that workers removed a corridor window on the twentieth floor to reach the rooftop but failed to reinstall it for an extended period, leaving the premises vulnerable.
The unit, which was used as a private office for a gold and real estate brokerage business, contained land deeds, gold jewelry, and other high-value items.
The company was barred from entering the office after the closure order was issued, and officials allegedly changed the door locks without the director's permission.
Earlier this year, when the company hired its own contractors to remove the illegal structures, they discovered that government workers had cut a massive hole through the roof directly into the private office below.
Millions lost and police investigations launched
Upon discovering the hole, an assistant entered the office to find it completely ransacked.
The company installed security cameras and new locks to secure the premises, but the cameras mysteriously vanished shortly after.
The company officially reported the incident to the police in late April. Police inspections revealed empty storage boxes, with the firm estimating the stolen gold and classic watches to be worth approximately US$6,000,000.
Following the discovery, police barred both the property owner and the government from entering the unit.
The situation escalated again in May when the building's management informed the company of a water leak.
The plaintiff discovered that protective wooden boards had been removed by government workers and a small peephole had been drilled, sparking fears that it was created to scout the office for further burglaries.
After a second police report was filed, the department temporarily erected scaffolding to continue the demolition without the owner's consent. The scaffolding was later removed after the company demanded a halt due to the ongoing criminal investigation.
Seeking compensation for negligence and losses
The legal dispute reached a boiling point in late June when the government abruptly canceled a scheduled joint inventory check of the office, allegedly because the plaintiff refused to move items out of the unit.
The plaintiff accuses the Building Authority of severe negligence and breaching its duty of care by wrongfully applying for the closure order, leaving access points unsecured, and allowing workers to cut a hole that directly facilitated the massive theft.
The company is now asking the High Court to revoke the closure order and is seeking compensation for the stolen property, lost profits, reputational damage, and legal costs.
