Real Estate

Luxury Apartment Project Developer in Ho Chi Minh City Accused of Encroaching on Thousands of Square Meters of Public Land

The project, licensed for construction on nearly 4,630 square meters, saw the developer extend the basement into the adjacent plot. Notably, over 1,270 square meters of land within the designated boundary were unlawfully encroached upon.

Administrator

27 October, 2025

Construction Halted on Unpermitted High-Rise Project

The Department of Finance has submitted a report to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee regarding the appraisal of the investment proposal for the Lancaster Lincoln high-rise project at 430 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Xom Chieu Ward. The project is developed by Trung Thuy Lancaster Joint Stock Company.

Between 2016 and 2017, the project was heavily promoted in the market and positioned as a luxury development. Authorized by the developer, Trung Thuy Real Estate JSC began accepting deposits for apartment purchases from numerous buyers starting in mid-2017.

The project’s underground construction commenced under a permit issued in December 2017. However, in 2018, the former District 4 People’s Committee fined the developer for unauthorized construction. To date, the project remains suspended.

The Lancaster Lincoln project has been on hold since 2018. Photo: Anh Phuong

In late June 2025, the developer requested project adjustments, including transferring the legal entity to Trung Thuy Lancaster, expanding the land area from 4,621.8 sqm to 8,098.3 sqm, and increasing the number of apartments from 120 to 957.

Legally, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance noted that the project originates from two land plots at 428 and 430 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street. In 2024, the Government Inspectorate requested the city to review the land use value for the plot at 430 Nguyen Tat Thanh.

Regarding the proposed expansion to 8,098.3 sqm, the Department of Finance stated that the new area comprises three parts.

First, a 6,786.7 sqm plot legally owned by Trung Thuy Lancaster. Second, a 542.1 sqm state-managed plot located between the two original plots, which cannot be separated into an independent project. Third, a 764.5 sqm plot designated for transportation, for which the developer lacks usage rights.

As of now, the Xom Chieu Ward People’s Committee has not provided feedback on the proposed project boundaries and location for the total 8,098.3 sqm area.

Encroachment on Road Land

During the Lancaster Lincoln project’s implementation, the developer committed multiple violations related to construction and land use, as highlighted by the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate in a document issued on July 21.

Specifically, the inspectorate found that only the plot at 430 Nguyen Tat Thanh had been granted a construction permit for its underground section, while the plot at 428 lacked both a permit and official recognition as part of the project.

However, inspections revealed that the entire 8,411 sqm area at 428-430 Nguyen Tat Thanh had completed basement construction and sealing, including encroachment on state-managed transportation and road land.

This included 1,273.4 sqm of road land at 428 Nguyen Tat Thanh, managed by local authorities. The developer illegally occupied this area, integrating it into the basement of the 430 Nguyen Tat Thanh structure.

The Department of Finance recommended that the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee direct the Department of Agriculture and Environment to investigate and address the developer’s encroachment on transportation and road land.

For project adjustment procedures, the Department of Finance suggested that the city assign relevant departments to further review and clarify their respective responsibilities.

Anh Phuong

– 06:03 27/10/2025