Some 10 policemen went to the condominium unit of a single mother of two in Gelugor and harassed her for failing to settle her outstanding property maintenance fees.

Lisa Nadia Tan Thuan Li, 35, said the policemen lingered in her home from 8.30am until noon on Dec 26, photographing and carrying out an inventory of her household goods, without prior notice or permission.

NONE Tan, who works as a senior manager in a factory, said her two children, aged four and 11, were frightened by the heavy police presence in their home at Bayswater Resort Condominium.

"Who wouldn't be, as there were so many of them," she said, showing photographs she took of the uniformed men.

Tan said she had promptly sought to meet with the condo management when she received a warrant of seizure, dated Dec 13, from deputy land officer Zanzila Zainol Abidin of the Northeast Land Office.

Under the Strata Titles Act, 1985, the warrant allows representatives of a building management to seize any property belonging to a defaulter to help settle outstanding amounts due to the management.

Tan had on March 15 and Nov 22 received written legal notices, under the same Act, informing her to settle the arrears.

Failed in several bids to meet management

She said she had wanted to settle the sum in a few instalments, but could not meet the management despite several attempts.

Her car was subsequently barred from entering the condo premises despite she having two parking lots, after which she lodged a police report in Jelutong on Oct 26, seeking protection for her family and herself.

"This is very unfair; I am a single mother and I am trying to resolve this problem, but they refused to meet me," she told reporters at a press conference held at Batu Uban (PKR) assemblyperson T Raveentharan's service centre last night.

NONE "They wanted me to pay up the full sum, but I have told them that I could not afford it as I have financial problems," Tan ( right ) added.

Her father, Richard Tan, 71, who was also present, said the police came when the family was still asleep.

When the police called for them to open the door, the family panicked and contacted Raveentharan, a lawyer by profession, who told them to remain calm.

The senior Tan said the family had recently suffered a setback when his granddaughter was admitted to the hospital for suspected dengue, but was later diagnosed to be suffering from pneumonia.

"It is not that we do not want to settle the fees... we do apologise for the late payment but we cannot afford a lump sum so we offered to pay the outstanding and current sums in a few instalments," he said.

Tan, via Raveentharan's lawyers, had sent cheques to the management on Nov 22, but they were rejected and returned to her on Nov 26.

17 post-dated cheques sent in rejected

Lawyers representing the management told Tan in a letter that she must settle the outstanding amount of RM14,017.20, incurred since January 2009, in one settlement, saying their client did not accept instalments.

Seventeen post-dated cheques for RM807.57 each as payment for the outstanding and current maintenance fees were returned to Tan, with a reminder of a notice of demand dated Nov 22 asking her to settle the amount in one go.

Raveentharan questioned the management's use of police to carry out inspection of condo units under its care.

He deemed the police involvement as sheer "intimidation and harassment" of a single mother who was struggling financially but still trying her best to make good her outstanding payments.

"What is the management trying to achieve here? Why are police involved? It was the day after Christmas, she has two kids and an aged father... what will the neighbours think... the police presence has cast all kinds of aspersions on her character," he said.

"We feel the police have defamed and harassed her, with their presence implying she is a criminal."

Seri Delima (DAP) assemblyperson RSN Rayer, who was also present last night, said he was mulling legal action against the police for interfering in the work of the management.

Rayer said he would send the photographic evidence of the heavy police presence at Tan's home to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for it to investigate the matter.

Legally, he added, there was nothing in the Strata Titles Act for a property management company to use police to assist it in enforcing its duties, whether to collect fees or conduct inventory.