Lippo's hypocrisy
I bought my house (by credit), two years ago, and just two weeks ago made my last payment to Lippo, so now the house is paid for, having worked very hard to find the monthly payments of Rp 5,400,000 a month.
Once I'd made my last payment, I resigned from my job at the Korean International School, where I have been working as an English teacher, and where I was earning US$2,000 a month.
The reason I bought my house is because it has the most beautiful, panoramic and serene view. My house is situated opposite about five kilometers of terraced rice fields, rising to a hill. There are water buffaloes and locals working in the fields. To me it's like a piece of Bali but close enough for me to be able to work in Jakarta.
When I, as everyone else in my street, bought a house here we were all told the same thing: Lippo would never build on the sawah, but in five years time it would become a golf course. You can be sure that I checked and rechecked on this vitally important information. Always I was told the same thing. No, they would not build there, it's a hill. It would be a golf course. So, as everything was finally paid for I quit my job at the Korean School. I felt I needed a break.
Just a few days after I quit, to my horror I saw bulldozers moving across the sawah, to the left of my house. A neighbor informed me that Lippo were going to build factories on the land. I was extremely angry and phoned Lippo only to be asked "Who told you it was going to be a golf course?" I can't remember the names of the people. I can just say what all my neighbors are saying -- we were all told the same story. One neighbor claims to have seen plans for the golf course -- but it seems that maybe no one kept the plans, certainly not Lippo.
I've been round to the Lippo main office in Cikarang, and I shouted and shrieked in front of the Estate Managers who just look at me in a very puzzled way whenever I mentioned "golf course".
The other day I telephoned Lippo yet again, now asking about compensation. I was told there was no compensation.
I detected more than a little hypocrisy in the way Lippo is "managing" its customers, and Lippo can be assured of this -- from now on jungle law rules in my street.
SUSAN WILLIAMS
Cikarang, West Java