Woman claims she can’t sell her Bedok Reservoir HDB flat due to neighbour’s clutter

SINGAPORE: Disputes between neighbours are not uncommon in space-scarce Singapore, but usually, these involve noise or other everyday issues. It escalates to another level, however, when one resident is unable to sell their unit allegedly because of their neighbour’s behaviour.

This appears to be the problem confronting a woman who lives at Bedok Reservoir View, according to a recent report in Shin Min Daily News. Her neighbour has so much clutter in the common areas that property agents have declined to help sell the woman’s flat until the neighbour’s stuff is cleared away.

The 50-year-old woman told the Chinese-language daily that she’s been living at Bedok Reservoir View with her family since 2009. Her neighbour moved in before she did and was already collecting various items at the time, but back then, these were kept inside his flat.

Recently, however, he began to store items in the hallway, which ended up obstructing the common walkway. Photos posted in Shin Min Daily News show large items, including bicycles and TV or computer monitors.

According to the woman, the man takes home items that people living nearby have discarded and then puts them in the riser or corridor. When she tried to talk him out of this in the past, he grew upset and raised his voice at her.

However, she’s not the only person who has attempted to raise the problem with the authorities — other residents have also complained about the clutter. This resulted in warnings being issued to the neighbour, but the woman said he cleared up the clutter after getting the warnings, and then began hoarding again. Additionally, since he thought that it was she who complained, he began to target her and her family.

This is why they decided to move out, but when they contacted a property agent to help sell the flat, the agent said they would not do so until the neighbour’s clutter was cleared up, as the mess would discourage those who would otherwise want to buy the unit.

The woman then decided to file an official complaint with the town council, which resulted in the man being told to clear the corridor within a week.

The neighbour’s treatment of the woman worsened, however, as he allegedly harassed her in several ways, including recording her unit on his phone. He also wrote these threatening words on the warning posted by the town council: “I am hunting you.” A photo of this was included in the Shin Min Daily News report.

She also said that he spray-painted offensive words outside her door, which the town council had to paint over. /TISG

Read also: ‘It’s like their storage unit’ — Woman asks what can be done about neighbour who clutters the entrance corridor of their HDB unit