The Joint Mediation Helpline Office (JMHO) today (8 October) announced that the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance Pilot Mediation Scheme (PMS) administered by the JMHO was successfully completed.

With the financial support of the Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the PMS was launched in 2011 with a view to provide mediation services to assist property owners to resolve disputes involving applications for compulsory sale of land that have been filed or were intended to be filed to the Lands Tribunal.

As at 30 June 2014, JMHO has received 211 enquiries and 52 applications under the PMS, involving 23 lots of property and a total of 115 property owners. Out of 52 applications, 18 cases were settled through direct negotiation after entering into PMS and 26 cases proceeded to mediation. Amongst them, 16 cases were settled at the mediation session. The overall success rate of PMS is around 70%.

"We are glad to see the relatively high success rate achieved. We are pleased that the PMS has proven to be a historical milestone for similar types of pilot mediation schemes in Hong Kong. We feel truly grateful for the support received from the Development Bureau, the participating mediators and all others involved in the PMS throughout the past years in making this scheme a success," Mr. Antony MAN, Chairman of JMHO, said.

Mr. CHAN Bing Woon, Honorary Advisor of JMHO, said, "The PMS has successfully achieved its objective. The introduction of the PMS provided owners involved in land compulsory sales cases to resolve their disputes by reaching an agreement acceptable to them through the facilitation of an impartial third party during mediation."

The JMHO will continue to provide mediation services and free consultation for land compulsory sale cases and other cases. In particular there are 225 accredited mediators from the 8 Participating Service Providers who have undergone trainings for land compulsory sales cases and were on the panel list of mediators under PMS. For enquiries about mediation services, please visit JMHO located at Room LG102, LG1/F, High Court Building, 38 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong (office hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 1:00pm; 2:00pm – 6:00pm), by phone at (852) 2901 1224, by email at [email protected] or visit website at http://www.jointmediationhelpline.org.hk.