Judge awards warehouse owner $814 in case against tenant over 2020 fire

Landlord had sued for $600k; judge finds tenant's only breach was over stamp duty

- Selina Lum Senior Law Correspondent

The owner of a Sungei Kadut warehouse that caught fire in May 2020 blamed its tenant for starting the fire, claiming more than $600,000 in damages in a lawsuit.

The tenant, a scrap vehicle company, countersued for unspecified losses due to the fire, alleging that the fire hose reel in the warehouse malfunctioned because the landlord had failed to properly maintain it.

The High Court dismissed both sides' claims, but ordered the tenant to reimburse $814 to the landlord for stamp duty under the tenancy agreement.

On July 18, Judicial Commissioner Christopher Tan issued written grounds setting out the reasons for his decision.

The judge said the landlord, Feida Bus Consortium, failed to show that the tenant, Royal Autoz Exporter, had breached any terms of the tenancy agreement, except for the clause on stamp duty.

Feida Bus Consortium had alleged that the fire started when the tenant's employees carried out works either on or near a car at the warehouse — a claim the tenant denied.

It sued Royal Autoz Exporter for alleged breach of contract and negligence.

The judge said there was insufficient evidence to establish that the tenant's employees had been working in the warehouse at the time of the fire.

In rejecting the tenant's counterclaim, the judge said there was evidence that the fire hose was working at the time.