BIZARRE:A source from the representative office in Tokyo said transferring title deeds is costly, but a Japanese realtor disputed the claim, saying the fees are minimal
Taipei Times
Date: Oct 17, 2016
By: Chang Mao-sen and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter in TOKYO, with staff writer
The properties used by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Japan are
One of the premises belonging to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, and registered under the name of a former Taiwanese diplomat who died 18 years ago, is seen in this undated photograph. Photo: Miki Chang, Taipei Times
registered under the name of Ma Chi-chuang (馬紀壯), a former Taiwanese diplomat who died 18 years ago, Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said, urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the issue to avoid complications.
The properties consist of an office compound and a residence with a combined floor size of 5,634m2 on a 3,069m2 plot in Tokyo’s Shirokanedai District, Hsieh said, adding that they were purchased by the Taiwanese government, but registered under Ma’s name.
Their ownership has not changed hands even though there have been eight representatives since Ma, Hsieh added.
“Ma passed away a long time ago and his possession of office properties in Japan is likely to cause problems. I suggest that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should authorize the office to register its properties under an entity with an appropriate name,” Hsieh said.
The plots are estimated to have a market value of ￥10.8 billion (US$103.6 million) and the structures are worth about ￥5 billion, sources said. [FULL STORY]
