CENTALINE PROPERTY AGENCY LIMITED 中原地產代理有限公司

Estate agencies' price-fixing case sent to Competition Tribunal
HK Competition Commission, 14-Nov-2023
Midland (1200) and subsidiary HK Property Services, allegedly colluded with Centaline and its subsidiary Ricacorp to set a minimum net commission that buyers of first-hand homes would pay. Centaline/Ricacorp gave evidence and will not face action from CompComm, but could theoretically be sued by customers in a "follow-on" action, except that there has never been a follow-on action under this law because HK does not have a class-action system, so access to justice it is prohibitively expensive. The Govt appointed a committee to study that problem 11 years ago, including the current Chairman of CompComm, Samuel Chan Ka Yan. He told Webb-site recently that they haven't met in years.
Ex-Centaline supervisor jailed over HK$1.2m kickback
ICAC, 28-Mar-2019
This almost certainly relates to Flat A on 46/F (the top floor) of 39 Conduit Road, which went for HK$594.76m or $107,435 per saleable sq ft. Nothing else on Conduit Road comes close to that price.
Lucy Michaels v Centaline, Chiu Chi Hung & Elina Pow Mui Ling
HK Court of First Instance, 12-Sep-2018
Mrs Michaels claims that she suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and PTSD in a flat rented by her daughter. The Master struck out her claim as it was beyond the 3-year limit in the Limitations Ordinance. Deputy Judge Paul Lam SC agrees, adding that "Mrs Michaels' claim is far-fetched, imaginative, and fanciful; it does not have any evidential basis at all. It would not make sense to disapply the limitation period to allow her to proceed with a hopeless claim."
Ex-Centaline supervisor charged with accepting HK$1.2m kickback from junior over property transaction
ICAC, 16-Apr-2018
The residential transaction on Conduit Road was "over HK$590m" - that's probably Flat A on 46/F (the top floor) of 39 Conduit Road, which went for HK$594.76m or $107,435 per saleable sq ft. Nothing else on Conduit Road comes close to that price.
Ex-Centaline agent admits fraud and theft over property and lease deals
ICAC, 21-Feb-2018
Ex-Centaline & HKP agents in court for alleged fraud and theft
ICAC, 10-Jan-2018
Ex-Centaline senior manager charged with bribery and fraud
ICAC, 22-Dec-2017
Ex-manager of mortgage broker admits offering bribes to Centaline agents for referrals
ICAC, 14-Feb-2017
Ex-manager of m.Mortgage (HK) Ltd guilty of bribery
ICAC, 4-Jan-2017
Ex-manager of m.Mortgage (HK) Ltd in court for bribery
ICAC, 22-Jul-2016
Seven charged with bribery over referral of mortgage clients
ICAC, 27-May-2016
6 former agents of Centaline Property Agency were allegedly bribed to refer mortgage business to m.Mortgage Realty rather than Centaline's own mortgage broker.
Centa-City Index v HK Economic Journal
HK Court of Appeal, 24-Nov-2015
HKEJ wins its appeal against a finding of defamation. The appeal court rules that the defamatory imputation was in the nature of a fair comment, not presented as a fact, and Judge Azizul Rahman Suffiad in the court below was in error by failing to have proper regard to the context.
Bar Council v Barristers Disciplinary Tribunal
HK Court of First Instance, 16-Oct-2015
The Bar Council withdraws its judicial review of the BDT's dismissal of a complaint by a client against a barrister who, as leading counsel, did not call a witness in a trial. His client's conviction was quashed on appeal because of this. In relation to the same case, barrister Catherine Wong Kam Kuen was cleared by the Court of Appeal after a BDT found against her for not calling the witness. Her client Lau Sau Yu's conviction had been quashed because of this. The other person whose conviction was quashed is Mr Poon Chi Ming, whose leading counsel at trial was Eric Kwok Tung Ming, SC.
Catherine Wong Kam Kuen v The Bar Council
HK Court of Appeal, 30-Jun-2015
Ms Wong succeeds in overturning the finding of the Barristers Disciplinary Tribunal Panel against her.
Centa-City Index v HK Economic Journal
HK Court of First Instance, 22-Oct-2014
Centa-City is awarded HK$300k for libel by HKEJ about its property index.
Centaline Property Agency Ltd v Irene Fung Wai Yee
HK District Court, 30-Jun-2014
SSD tragedy: a husband passed half a flat to his wife on 23-Aug-2011, shortly before he died, making them joint owners. She became sole owner on his death, and agreed to sell on 9-Apr-2012 but was subsequently faced with 10% Special Stamp Duty on her half because she had acquired it within 1 year of the sale. So she agreed to cancel the sale, paid the buyer $180k and now has to pay the agent $105.6k in commission. And all because the Government thinks SSD is a good idea, and that she must be a "speculator".
Centaline property agent sues law firm, barristers who represented him
South China Morning Post, 17-Nov-2013
2 months' jail for offering illegal commission in renting property
ICAC, 2-Apr-2013
HKSAR v Lau Sau Yu: costs
HK Court of Appeal, 8-Feb-2012
HKSAR v Lau Sau Yu (Chinese only)
HK Court of Appeal, 2-Dec-2011
Centaline Property Agency Ltd v Lento Yip Yuk Fai
HK District Court, 18-Aug-2011
And the moral of the story is this: why would you sign an agency agreement in which the agent gets paid whether or not the transaction completes? After all, if the transaction fails, then the agent can still introduce another buyer or property (depending on which side the agent is acting for) and get paid for that. Buyers: read the agency agreement before you sign it, and remember - if the agent is acting for the vendor, then there is a conflict of interests if they act for you too. You may prefer to act for yourself.
HKSAR v Poon Chi Ming (Chinese only)
HK Court of Appeal, 16-Apr-2010
Mr Poon's conviction is quashed, on the grounds that his counsel at trial failed to call a witness, Lobo Law Kar Po.
HKSAR v Mark Chan Ngan Lau & Ho Wai Jon
HK Court of Appeal, 3-Aug-2009
Four jailed for bribery and fraud over property deals
ICAC, 17-Jun-2008
Trio guilty of bribery and fraud over property deals
ICAC, 3-Jun-2008

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