Town Councils Act
(CHAPTER 329A, Section 24)
Town Council of Tampines
(Common Property and Open Spaces) By-laws
By 35
REVISED EDITION 1998
(15th June 1998)
[15th June 1998]
Citation
1.  These By-laws may be cited as the Town Council of Tampines (Common Property and Open Spaces) By-laws.
Definitions
2.—(1)  In these By-laws, unless the context otherwise requires —
“common property” and “open space” mean any common property and any open space, respectively, within the Town of Tampines;
“housing estate” means a housing estate of the Board within the Town of Tampines;
“park” means to bring a vehicle to a stationary position and cause it to remain for any purpose;
“parking place” has the same meaning as in the Parking Places Act (Cap. 214);
“sign” includes all signals, warning sign posts, direction posts, banners and advertisements;
“vehicle” means a vehicle, whether mechanically propelled or not, intended or adapted for use on the road.
(2)  Nothing in these By-laws shall prohibit officers or employees of the Town Council or any person authorised by the Town Council from doing any act that is reasonably necessary or expedient in the enforcement of these By-laws.
Unlawful parking, etc.
3.  No person shall —
(a)park any vehicle on any common property or in any open space except in a parking place; or
(b)use, ride or drive on any common property or in any open space any vehicle other than a perambulator, a child’s toy vehicle used solely by a child or a wheel-chair used solely for the conveyance of persons suffering from some physical defect or disability.
Power to detain or remove vehicles
4.—(1)  Where a vehicle is parked on any common property or in any open space in contravention of any by-law, the secretary or an officer authorised by the Town Council —
(a)may detain the vehicle by any means and, if the vehicle is detained, shall give notice in writing of the detention to the owner or person who had lawful possession of the vehicle when it was detained and that he may, on payment of the expenses incurred by the Town Council in respect of such detention, claim possession of the vehicle within 7 days of such notice being served on him; and
(b)if such owner or person fails to claim possession of the vehicle within the period specified in sub-paragraph (a), may remove or cause the vehicle to be removed to a place of reasonable safety.
(2)  Where any vehicle is removed under paragraph (1)(b) to a place of reasonable safety, the secretary of the Town Council shall, with all reasonable despatch, give notice in writing of the removal to the owner or person who had lawful possession of the vehicle when it was removed and that he may, on payment of the expenses incurred by the Town Council in respect of such removal, claim possession of the vehicle within 30 days of such removal.
(3)  Where the Town Council has detained or removed or cause the detention or removal of any vehicle to a place of reasonable safety under paragraph (1), the owner or person who had lawful possession of the vehicle when it was detained or removed shall —
(a)in the case of detention, within the period specified in paragraph (1)(a); or
(b)in the case of removal, within the period specified in paragraph (2),
pay all expenses incurred by the Town Council in respect of such detention or removal, as the case may be.
Dumping and renovation debris
5.  No person shall —
(a)place, deposit, keep or leave, or cause or permit to be placed, deposited, kept or left, any material, article, object or thing on any common property or in any open space except in any place designated by the Town Council for that purpose; or
(b)transport any renovation debris or other building material in any lift in a building in any housing estate, or over any other common property, except with the prior written permission of the Town Council.
Obstruction of rubbish chutes
6.  No person shall throw or deposit or cause or permit to be thrown or deposited into any refuse chute in a building in any housing estate any object, material, thing, article or substance which will or is likely to choke, clog or obstruct the free fall of refuse in the chute or cause any nuisance, annoyance or inconvenience to other occupiers of the building.
Obstruction of common property
7.—(1)  No person shall obstruct or cause or permit the obstruction of the lawful use of any common property with any object, fixture or thing.
(2)  The Town Council may remove any object, fixture or thing obstructing the lawful use of any common property.
Damage to turf, plant, shrub or tree
8.  No person shall —
(a)remove, cut, damage or dispose of any turf, plant, shrub or tree or part thereof situated on any common property or in any open space; or
(b)pick a shrub or plant or any part thereof situated on any common property or in any open space.
Damage to common property
9.—(1)  No person shall remove, destroy or damage any common property or remove any earth or soil from any common property.
(2)  The costs and expenses including administrative costs incurred by the Town Council in restoring any damaged common property to its condition before such damage or destruction or in replacing earth, soil or any other property that has been removed shall constitute a debt due to the Town Council and shall be recoverable as such.
Display of signs
10.  No person shall display or cause or permit to be displayed any sign on any common property or in any open space except with the prior written permission of the Town Council.
Diversion of water or electricity
11.  No person shall draw, divert or take —
(a)any water from any water service installation for the supply of water, tap or pipe situated on any common property; or
(b)any electricity from any electrical installation for the supply of electricity, socket or electrical supply line situated on any common property,
except with the prior written permission of the Town Council.
Unauthorised structures
12.—(1)  No person shall erect or install any fixture, structure or thing on any common property or in any open space except with the prior written permission of the Town Council.
(2)  Any person who erected or installed any fixture, structure or thing in contravention of paragraph (1) shall, if requested in writing by the Town Council, remove at his expense that fixture, structure or thing and repair any damage to the common property or open space within 7 days of that request being served on him, in default of which the Town Council may remove that fixture, structure or thing and repair any such damage caused; and the amount of expenses incurred by the Town Council in removing the fixture, structure or thing and performing the repairs shall be recoverable by the Town Council from that person.
Entertainment and sale of goods on common property
13.  No person shall without the prior written permission of the Town Council —
(a)hold or stage or cause the holding or staging of any show, play, wayang or other entertainment or any reception or formal party on any common property or in any open space; or
(b)sell or offer or expose for sale any commodity or article on any common property or in any open space.
Swimming, etc., in ponds
14.  No person shall swim, wade, bathe or wash in, fish or permit any animal belonging to him or in his charge to enter or remove anything from any pond which is within the Town of Tampines and maintained by the Town Council.
Service of documents
15.  Any document required by these By-laws to be served on any person may be served —
(a)by delivering the document to that person or delivering the document at the usual or last known place of abode of that person to some adult member or servant of his family;
(b)by sending the document by registered post to the usual or last known place of abode or business of the person;
(c)by leaving the document at the usual or last known place of abode or business of the person in a cover addressed to that person; or
(d)where the person is a body corporate —
(i)by delivering the document to the secretary or other like officer of the body corporate at its registered office or principal place of business; or
(ii)by sending the document by registered post to the registered office of the body corporate.
Penalty
16.  Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of these By-laws shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.
Composition of offences
17.  Every offence under these By-laws shall be a compoundable offence.
[G.N. Nos.S 334/92; S 246/93]