奥克兰开发商针对可负担性住房售价事宜的回应

本公司针对该报道的回复如下：

1. 首先当时的房屋买卖合同得到了买卖双方律师认可。合同里明确说明合同必须由买方律师批准后才生效。因此既然买方律师批准了合同，意味这份合同具有相应的法律效力。Imperial Homes有多年开发经验，目前同时承建多个项目，包括Auckland 南区Housing New Zealand 项目。在项目流程以及法律方面都有专业的团队协助，所有运营操作都是在法律规定的范围内进行。

2. 其次双方律师在交割前已经就所谓的“可负担住房”的定义达成一致。买卖合同中的所谓房屋指的是房屋本身，合同中也明确说明要对景观美化收取额外费用，这点对方也没有异议。 如果对这一问题有意见的话，应该在当时就提出。全部买卖合同已经交由双方律师审核通过，并且在交割前至少两个月都已发给市政府。其中车道，围栏，藤架，步道，挡土墙等设施的额外收费都是买卖双方都同意并且签字宣布无条件，目前房产已经完成交割。依据法律流程，如果买家或买家律师不同意的话，该合同是不能宣布无条件的。而对方在房产完全交割之后才提出这些，本身就存在不合理性。本公司也曾与个别买家协商，可以取消买卖合同并全额退还定金，但没有买家愿意取消合同。因为房子售价63.6万，市场保守估值是78-79万，增值在10万以上。该房型极受市场欢迎，并且其中不少是有海景的，当时很多买家争相抢购，许多意向买家已等待长达一年之久。

3. 房产的售价理应按照合同的规定履行，而‘可负担性住房‘的性质也决定了该合同内容的合理性。正如Mike Greer在回应这一情况时所说，买家在签署买卖合同时必须要明确知道其中包括的内容。在某些没有土地契约的区域，开发商可以通过放弃车道建设来降低售房价格。买家购买不带车道，围栏，车库，步道的房产在以前的新西兰相当普遍。这种情况将会越来越普及，因为许多时候能够把房价降低到买家可承担范围的唯一途径就是减少一些附加设施。 

本公司援引律师Andrew Fletcher的相关回复如下，

“The dwellings at ScottPoint were sold by Imperial Homes Norwest Limited for $636,000.00. These homes were Affordable Dwellings. The governing legislation for the AffordableDwellings is the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013.  The criteria for qualifying developments refer to the cost of “dwellings”. The governing legislation is the Act set out above. The definition of Dwelling in that legislation is as follows:- “Dwelling means a building or part of a building that is suitable for residential purposes and that is intended to be occupied exclusively as the home or residence of not more than one household.”(Imperial Homes Norwest LTD. 在Hobsonville的ScottPoint售出的住房价格是在$636,000.00。这些房产都是可负担性住房。根据政府‘住房协定和2013特殊住宅区法案’： “住宅的定义是指一个房屋或者房屋的部分是适用于适合居住的用途，并且是仅仅用来给不超过一户人家的家庭的占用或居住”)

Therefore the relevant criteria for assessment of the cost of a Dwelling are the cost of the building alone. It does not include other items, such as chattels or landscape development. The purpose of the legislation was to control the cost of housing. Auckland Council has made certain Resource Consent decisions in relation to the landscaping of properties and owners must comply with those decisions. The relevant price of an Affordable Dwelling is not the price based on the outcome of the Resource Consent requirements which have been independently imposed by Council. It is the price of the dwelling. In every case, the agreements for sale and purchase entered into have clearly stated the cost of the house. （因此，对于dwelling-住宅来说，成本的界定仅仅是房屋的成本，而不包括其他的部分，比方说动产或者景观美化的开发。这一法案是就是为了限制住房的成本。奥克兰市议会拟定了针对房产景观的资源许可的决定，而屋主必须要遵从这些决定。一个可负担性住房的相关价格不是基于资源许可要求的价格；而是住宅的价格。在所有的case中，所涉及到的售房协议已经明确指出了是住宅的价格。）

The agreement also clearly stated that there would be an additional charge for landscaping and other items supplied in addition to the cost of the dwelling. This process has been entirely transparent and has been advised to the purchaser prior to entry into the agreement. （售房协议还明确指出 - 将会有超出住宅成本之外的针对景观和其他被提供项目的额外收费。整个过程都是公开透明并且也已经在签订售房协议之前都告知给买方。）

The agreements for sale and purchase all included conditions making the agreements subject to the approval in all respect of the purchaser’s solicitors. All relevant information was supplied to those solicitors, or if it was not supplied it was publicly available. In every case, the purchasers’ solicitors approved the agreements which included transparency in relation to the price of the dwelling and in relation to the independent landscaping cost. In each case the landscaping cost was invoiced by an independent party, not being the vendor of the dwelling.（售房协议包含的所有买卖相关的条款都是经过买房者的律师的认可。所有相关信息都提供给了相关法律人员，或者即使是没有被提供的条款也是公众可以公开获得的。在所有case中，买方律师都认可了相关协议，其中包括针对住房价格的透明度，和独立的针对房屋景观的成本。另外，在每一个case 中，景观成本的开支都由第三方开具的开支发票，而不是住宅销售的一方。）

At least two months before the settlement of each individual transaction, the agreements for sale and purchase were forwarded to the Council. There has been full transparency with Council and all relevant details have been supplied to Council a long time before any of these transactions were settled. （在所有房子的交割结算之前至少两个月，售房协议都已经被提交给市议会。市议会对此拥有完整的透明度，而且所有的相关细节都在每一个房屋交割很长一段时间之前被提交给市议会。）

The purchasers willingly entered into agreements for sale and purchase and independent contracts relating to the provision of landscaping and other matters after having the benefit of full independent legal advice. In many cases, a very robust process was followed by the purchasers’ solicitors before the purchasers committed themselves. There can be no question of bullying. （购房者当初在得到完全第三方的法律建议之后签订了售房合同以及景观项和其他项的独立合同。很多case 中，在购房者签订合同之前，他们的律师都走了非常可靠的流程。完全没有霸凌的问题存在。）

We referred earlier to the fact that full details in relation to all of these transactions were supplied to the Auckland Council several months before the settlement of each transaction. In all cases, our solicitors either received no reply or no meaningful reply, from Council before the transactions were settled. If Auckland Council had a genuine concern about the transactions, then surely that concern would have been raised when the information was supplied to it and not several months later, predominately after the transactions had actually been settled. （我们之前提到过，和这些房产买卖相关的所有细节在房产交割几个月之前都被提供给市议会。在所有的case中，我们的律师没有从Council收到任何实质性的回复。如果市议会对这些房产买卖中有任何疑虑，那么在收到些信息之后，Council必然在交割之前就已经提出对这些房产买卖交易的疑虑。但是现实情况并没有。）

Imperial has taken the allegations of non-compliance very seriously and at all times took all practical and reasonable steps to comply. In all cases, the purchasers have agreed to pay the additional sums for items. They have done so voluntarily and after receiving appropriate and robust independent legal advice. TheAffordability Criteria have been satisfied. （Imperial Homes 对于所有的针对于他们的不合规的论断都严肃对待，并且在任何时候都保留并采取实际且合理的方式维护权益。在所有的售房案例中，买方已经同意支额外超出部分的开销。所有买房者也都是在得到合规的且完整的第三方法律建议之后自愿购买。满足所有可负担性住房买卖的标准。）

We have invited Auckland Council to provide us with a legal opinion to the contrary. To date, they have not done so.” （我们也已经邀请奥克兰市议会将我们的法律性建议提供给对此有异议的人。到目前为止，市议会对此还没有什么动静。） 

另外，本公司援引资深顾问John Dare的回复如下，

I would like you to have a better understanding of what has occurred in the houses we recently sold. （我希望你们能更好地理解我们最近售卖房屋所发生的情况。）

As a result of the legacy Councils in Auckland adopting a ‘not in my back yard’ policy to more dense zoning, massive housing shortfalls occurred. These shortfalls meant house prices skyrocketed and an affordability crisis resulted. The proposed Auckland Unitary Plan allowed the densities that should have occurred decades ago. To accelerate the introduction of the greater densities the previous government introduced the HASHA Act which allowed an earlier use of the Auckland Unitary Plan. However, the proposed version of the plan sought to give Councils the power to redistribute wealth by making 90% of new homebuyers subsidize the other 10 %, in the name of creating affordability. This illegal cross-subsidizing approach was tossed out in the hearing process. However, it had to be adopted in HASHA Act process which was based on the proposed scheme. This was done through The Minister signing off the Special Housing Areas.（由于很早之前的奥克兰市议会采取了‘别建在我的后院’政策（‘避邻’政策）而不是后来的密集型住宅区的政策，奥克兰产生了巨大的住房缺口。这些缺口也就意味了房价的飙升，也产生了住房可负担性的危机。后来实施的AucklandUnitary Plan所允许的高密度住宅事实上很早之前就应该采取。为了加速实现奥克兰的更高密度住房的建设，前任政府采纳了HASHA法案（2013住房协定和特殊住宅区法案），该政策允许了提前实施AucklandUnitary Plan。然而这项法案的意义是为了授权市议会可以以创造住房可负担性的名义，将90%的新房购房者的财富重新分配，用来补助给剩下的10%的购房者。这一不合法的交叉补助的方法也进入了听证过程。然而这个政策也必须依附于HASHA法案的程序中。这一过程也是在官方签署特殊住宅区法案中落实。）

The affordable house criteria in Auckland can only be met decreasing dwelling size, and reducing amenity. In this case, the house size and amenity were well above what normally is sold. （奥克兰的住房可负担性的实现只能降低住宅面积和居住便利性。然而在这个事件中，所建的住房的大小和位置的便利性甚至是明显优于普通住宅的。）

Under the HASHA Act, only the dwelling on the property is subject to the affordable price requirements. Under the HASHA Act Council does not have the power to include add-ons to making the house more expensive and unaffordable. In this case, Council amused themselves with the add-ons of landscaping which given the size of the house is included in the price would have made the development economically unviable, meaning the house was not built. The landscaping was part of the resource consent and hence is the responsibility of whoever owns the property; once settlement occurs it is the responsibility of the new owner.（在HASHA法案之下，仅有房产中的房屋是被界定到可负担性价格的要求中。在该法案中，市议会没有权力要求开发商提供除房屋外的其他设施。在这个事件中，如果市议会要在这种及其有限的房产规格中要求除房屋外的包括景观等方面的增加项，这将会是自相矛盾的。如果这些增加项被包括在限定的售房价格中，对房产开发商来讲这是在经济上不可能实现的– 这也意味着房子也不可能被建出来。房产的景观项是被包含在资源许可中，所以这是谁拥有这个房产谁负责；一旦交割，达成资源许可所要求的景观是新屋主的责任。）

The complaintees signed an agreement to buy the house at the stated affordable price and they also agreed to subcontract the vendor to do the landscaping. The purchasers' lawyers reviewed the agreements and Council was sent copies and were asked for comment.No one raised any objections to the separate landscape contract. （在这个事件中那些投诉的人是签署了基于可负担性的价格的协议，并且他们也愿意将景观项包给卖方去施工。买方的律师审阅过购房协议，而且这些购房协议也早已递交给市议会并寻求意见。到目前为止也没有人对于将景观项的合同独立出来的这一做法有异议。）

The purchasers settled in full for the property and the landscape contract money was kept in a trust account until agreed parties signed off on it. The landscaping has been completed and contractor who did the work has requested payment. The person who owes the debt has gone to the media hoping the media will embarrass the landscape contractor into withdrawing the request for money owed. （买房者们完整得交割了房产，而景观项的合同金额被保留在一个信托账户中直到相关方都对此签署完成。这些房产已完成景观内容的建造，景观的施工方也已经要求付款。现在这些少数拖欠景观施工方钱的买家又跑去媒体，希望媒体们去指责景观的施工方，从而达到逃避付款的目的。）

The complaintee has done exceptionally well out of the HASHA process. The vendor and building contractors have been required to sell the property at around cost, the landscape contractor has not been paid despite the written agreement. The person making the complaint purchased the property in Dec 2018 at $635000, the house is now valued at $ 780,000, giving them a capital gain of $145,000 over a few months. They have now enrolled the state-owned media to try and increase their own capital gain at the expense of those how did the hard work in delivering the property to them. Trusting this gives you a better understanding of what has occurred.（购房的当事人的做法完全超出了HASHA的程序。而开发商和房屋建造的施工者们被要求以接近建房成本去卖房，景观项的施工方至今也没有拿到当初买房者签订售房合承诺要同时要付给他们的钱。此事件中的投诉人在2018年12月以$635,000的价格买下了这个房产，现在这栋房产值$780,000（详见文末第三方估价报告截图），仅仅过了几个月他们就获得了$145,000的增值，他们现在又试图让官方媒体卷入进来，通过牺牲那些辛苦付出而提供给他们这套房产的人的合法利益，来使他们自己得到资本的增值！相信你知道了这一点就知道整个事情到底发生了什么。）

（详见此链接：https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/111787804/affordable-home-means-the-dwelling-not-landscaping-says-developer?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0 ）

文章内容如下：

The building company at the centre of complaints about extra fees for "affordable" homes at Hobsonvillesays the $636,000 price cap was for the dwelling, not the driveways and landscaping.（近期发生在Hobsonville区域的关于‘可负担性’住房有人投诉征收多余费用的事件中，当事建造公司指出，$636,000的封顶价买的是房屋，而不是车道和景观优化）

Andrew Fletcher, a lawyer acting forImperial Homes, said the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 defined a dwelling as a building for residential purposes. Therefore the criteria for assessment of cost was the cost of the building alone, a statement from Imperial Homes said. （开发商Imperial Homes的代理律师Andrew Fletcher指出，‘2013住房协定和特殊住宅区法案’定义了住宅是指的是用以居住用途的房屋。因此来自Imperial Homes的一份声明强调到对于这些住宅成本的评估标准是仅仅针对与房屋的成本。）

（照片取自Stuff报道原文)

Associate Housing Minister Jenny Salesa says Auckland Council is responsible for ensuring developers follow the rules at Hobsonville. （联席住房部长Jenny Salesa说奥克兰市议会有责任确保开发商在Hobsonville遵从这些规定）

Auckland Council confirmed it was investigating why homebuyers at the Scott Point special housing area were charged thousands of dollars for the landscaping features, and wouldn't comment further. （奥克兰市议会确认了他们有在调查为什么在Hobsonville Scott Point的特殊住房区的购房者们被收了几千块钱对于园林景观的收费，而并没有给出更多意见。）

Imperial Homes built the homes under the special housing area (SHA) system set up by the Government in partnership with councils to fast-track new housing.（Imperial Homes是在特殊住宅区法案体系下开发了这些房产，该法案是由政府连同市议会合作下设立的。）

Associate Minister of Housing Jenny Salesa said Auckland Council was responsible for following up if the developer breached its resource consent by charging fees above the price cap.（联席住房部长Jenny Salesa说奥克兰市议会有责任确保开发商在Hobsonville遵从这些规定。）

Imperial said details of each sale had been sent to Auckland Council at least two months before they were settled, and Imperial had not received any legal opinion querying them. （Imperial Homes指出，每一个房产交易的细节都在交割前至少两个月之前提交给市议会，而他们也没有收到过任何来自市议会的法律相关的质疑。）

Auckland Council's resource consent required homeowners to comply with landscaping requirements, Imperial's statement said.  （奥克兰市议会的资源许可要求的是屋主要遵从景观方面的要求– Imperial Homes的声明中提到。）

"In every case, the agreements for sale and purchase have clearly stated the price of the dwelling. The agreements also clearly stated that there would be an additional charge for landscaping and other items supplied in addition to the cost of the dwelling."  （在所有的case 中，房屋买卖协议都已经清楚得指出价格是针对住宅的。这些合同也明确提到对于景观和其他被提供项目的额外收费。）

The process had been transparent and agreements were subject to the approval of the purchaser's solicitors, Imperial said. (Imperial Homes称，整个过程都是透明的，并且合同都是经过买房者律师们的认可。）

The landscaping cost was invoiced by an independent company, and not Imperial.（景观美化项目的成本的收据都是第三方公司出具的，而并不是Imperial Homes.）

"The purchasers willingly entered into agreements for sale and purchase and independent contracts relating to provision of landscaping and other matters after having the benefit of full independent legal advice. There can be no question of bullying," Imperial said. (Imperial Homes指出，购房者当初在得到完全第三方的法律建议之后签订了售房合同以及景观项和其他项的独立合同。完全没有霸凌的问题存在。)

Mike Greer of Mike Greer Homes said buyers should know what they were getting in their sales contract. （Mike Greer Homes的总裁MikeGreer说道，买房者应该要知道按照他们的买房合同，他们可以得到什么。）

"In some subdivisions, we have to provide landscaping and paths and driveways because the subdivision covenants require it. （在一些开发项目中我们提供了景观优化，走道和车道因为该区域的协议条款要求了要提供这些。）

"But in some areas where there are no covenants we can build the basics to get the price down without driveways which can be built later," Greer said. （但一些其他区域并没有这些协议条款，我们就能只建造一些没有车道的基础项来降低售价，而那些车道之后也可以建起来。-- Greer这样说。）

（照片取自Stuff报道原文）

Mike Greer, left, pictured here with Housing Minister Phil Twyford recently, said buyers should know exactly what they were getting. (Mike Greer, 图左, 最近与住建部长Phil Twyford的合照，提到购房者应该要知道按照他们的买房合同，他们可以得到什么。)

Greer said that in previous generations it was common for people to buy homes without any fences, garages, paths or driveways which were often built later as people could afford them. （Greer说在老一辈人哪个时代，人们买的房产没有任何围栏，车库，走道或者车道都是很常见的事情，这些项目都是之后被修建起来，那时候人们也能够负担这些。）

"We'll get back to that more and more. Sometimes the only way people can get the price down to what they can afford is to leave some things out." （这种情况以后会越来越多。有时候人们能够将价格降到他们可以负担的水平的唯一的途径就是省去一些项目。）

Greer said the Government needed to help the industry build thousands more homes to have any real effect on affordability. （Greer说政府也需要帮助整个行业去建造成千上万栋房屋才能真正带来房屋的可负担性。）

Eligible Auckland purchasers of an"affordable" dwelling in a special housing area must have a gross household income not exceeding 120 percent of the Auckland median household income. （在特殊住房区的有资格的奥克兰可负担性住房的购房者们的家庭年收入必须不超过奥克兰家庭年收入中位数的120%。）

The price for the affordable dwelling must not be more than 75 percent of the Auckland median house price. （可负担性住房的价格必须不能多于奥克兰房价中位数的75%。）

The must intend to own and occupy the dwelling exclusively in their own name as their residence for no less than three years, and be a first home buyer and never have owned any other real estate. （他们必须要将住宅持有在他们自己名下且自住不少于三年，他们也必须是首次住房者，而且需要从来都没有拥有过其他的房产。）

前文提到该房产的实际价值，根据权威的第三方估价报告，其实际价值已经涨到$790,000. 该报告的相关部分如下：

详细报告（第21页）内容见以下链接 ：

Part 1:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QwwynbLTq6mWCjTomGX4bA

Part 2

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/xUkuNL-VbUocE5so2m7a3Q