Neighbours’ smoking still vexing Bukit Panjang woman despite 3 years of record-keeping, court order & police visit

Back in 2021, a woman who lives at Block 241 Bukit Panjang Ring Road, faced an issue with second-hand smoke from her neighbours.

It got serious enough that she began to fastidiously journal it, noting down each time she smelled her neighbours light up a cigarette.

The woman, then 52 and self-employed, found that her neighbours had been smoking upwards of 12 or 16 times a day; which would tally up to about 150 times in just two weeks.

More than two years later in June 2023, she apparently obtained a court order against those neighbours.

The injunction, issued by the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT), required her downstairs neighbours to not smoke at home, or allow anyone to smoke in the unit.

All the same, more than a year later, the woman alleges that her neighbours continue to smoke despite that court order.

She's now trying to have the court order enforced against her neighbours but faces difficulties in gathering evidence.

Health troubles

The woman told Mothership that the second-hand smoke has caused health issues for herself and her mother who lives with her.

She said that they have been suffering from sleepless nights, weight loss, and bouts of coughing due to the smoke.

She said that the smoke would sometimes continue through the night, wafting up at odd hours like 2 or 3am.

She also described the smell as "pungent", and that the smoke made it difficult to breathe in the house.

She says that she has tried out various methods to deal with the smell but to no avail, including changing her air purifier and purchasing charcoal purifiers.

In an attempt to keep the smoke out, she shuts all the windows in the house, making the interior "really hot and stuffy".

She said she even saw a doctor sometime in late October 2024 regarding a "noise" in her heart that she believes was triggered by the smoke.

She added that her mother had a heart condition, too.

Reached out to Town Council

The woman had contacted the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council regarding the second-hand smoke last year.

A spokesperson for the Town Council told Mothership that it had been notified back in November 2023 about the matter and that its property team had engaged the residents there with "advisory measures".

She also said that she had tried to apply for an enforcement order against her neighbours in April 2023, but "could not provide concrete evidence" before the court.

Applying to enforce a CDRT order

Under the Community Disputes Resolution Act (CDRA), the CDRT hears disputes between neighbours involving acts of unreasonable interference with the enjoyment or use of places of residence, according to the Singapore Courts website.

The CDRT can issue a court order, such as the injunction order against the woman's neighbours for smoking.

If a party does not comply with the court order, the other party may enforce a CDRT order against them by applying for a special direction.

The party applying for the special direction would have to prepare evidence in support of their claim, such as photographs, police reports, or letters from government agencies.

After applying for the special direction, the party must serve documents to the other party including the application, the notice of pre-trial or case conference, and any evidence submitted to the CDRT.

Following this, the party must file a declaration of service.

A special direction is a direction by the CDRT to a party to comply with the order that has been made against them within a specified time.

If the party fails to comply with the special direction without a reasonable excuse, they will be guilty of an offence and may be liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment.

Posters calling for information

The woman has since put up posters in her residential block, both in English and in Chinese, calling for residents who might have information about the alleged smokers to get in touch with her:

The posters also feature a QR code in the bottom right corner for residents to get in touch with her via WhatsApp.

All the same, the woman shared that most of the residents in her block are hesitant to convey their concerns, especially after hearing the word "court", as they might be worried about getting involved in legal matters.

She has also lodged a police report concerning the second-hand smoke from her neighbours on Oct. 17, 2024.

She said that the police had then spoken to the residents in the unit below. The residents there apparently claimed to have been aware of the court order.

The woman insists that her neighbours are continuing to smoke regardless.

Continues to journal smoke

The woman says that she continues to journal the apparent instances of second-hand smoke.

When asked what she is looking for, be it compensation or anything else, the woman shared:

"I think the only thing to stop them is to actually ask them to go for a rehab program, because seeing the way they smoke, I think they themselves have become addicts already.

Because I don't think it's normal to smoke like every hour, non-stop, that kind of thing, especially at night... It's like from 8 o'clock and to until the next morning, like 2, 3am... I think it's too much really."

Top photo from Google Maps, Shin Min Daily News & courtesy of Mothership reader.