The "Tragedy of the Anticommons" concept illustrates a scenario where multiple stakeholders holding rights to a single property can lead to its neglect, as they can impede one another from utilizing it effectively. This situation is notably observed in the context of strata subdivision termination governed by Malaysia’s Strata Title Act 1985 (Act 318), where unanimous resolution is mandatory. Due to the formidable challenge of attaining this consensus, the progress of urban redevelopment efforts is hindered. The consequence of numerous owners overseeing a strata property has resulted in underutilizing its potential, depleting its value, and impeding sustainable urban development. This is exacerbated by the fact that a minority can prevent the majority from selling their property, leaving the building in disrepair. This article applied the widely recognized concept of the "Tragedy of the Anticommons," commonly associated with environmental concerns, to the context of strata ownership. Furthermore, this article aims to propose solutions to mitigate the influence of the Tragedy of the Anticommons on strata termination which subsequently assists the urban redevelopment effort. This article employs a systematic literature review to identify the factors affecting ownership in strata subdivision termination and explore relevant potential solutions. Subsequently, these proposed solutions are validated through semi-structured interviews with five experts specializing in policy implementation of strata and land ownership. The findings emphasize the need to revise the legislation on the consent threshold, voting determinant, the avenue for grievances, termination timeline, valuation of property, and allocation of sale proceeds.
Altmann, E. (2014). Apartments, Co-ownership and Sustainability: Implementation Barriers for Retrofitting the Built Environment. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 16(4), 437–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2013.858593
Altmann, E. (2015). Industry professionalisation of strata title managers: What are the implications for governance? Property Management, 33(2).
https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-07-2014-0030
Altmann, E. (2016). Small scale housing unit developments: Implications for strata manager market penetration. Property Management, 34(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-06-2015-0025
Altmann, E., & Gabriel, M. (2018). Multi-Owned Property in the Asia-Pacific Region Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities.
Ann Dupuis. (2010). Share Unit. In Multi-owned Housing - Law, Power and Practice.
Arkcoll, K., Guilding, C., Lamminamki, D., Mcmanus, L., & Warnken, J. (2013). Funding common property expenditure in multi?owned housing schemes. Property Management, 31(4), 282–296. https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-09-2012-0031
Ashyiq, M. (2022). Isu Pengambilan Tanah Kg Sungai Baru: Kasihanilah Kami-Penduduk. Harian Metro.
Azmi, I. M. (2012). Tragedy of the commons: commercialization of cultural heritage in Malaysia Cultural Heritage Tourism In Malaysia. In Queen Mary Journal of Intellectual Property (Vol. 2, Issue 1).
http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2010/7/8/columnists/putiklada/6615843&se
Bakri, I. (2019). The Redevelopment Pandemonium of Stratified Building: A Case Study of Desa Kudalari Condominium, Kuala Lumpur. Land Journal, 3(1), 59–68.
Bakri, I., Samsudin, S., & Muin, Z. A. (2023). A Review of Share Unit Impact as A Voting Determinant for Strata Subdivision Termination in Malaysia: A Comparison with Singapore. International Journal of Law, Government and Communication (IJLGC), September 2023.
Benjamin, R. W. (2012). The new limits of education policy: avoiding a tragedy of the commons (1st ed.). Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Bezin, E., & Ponthière, G. (2019). The tragedy of the commons and socialization: Theory and policy. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 98.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2019.102260
Brugman, J. (2020). The Politics and Practices of Apartment Living. Urban Policy and Research, 38(4), 374–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2020.1809067
Cebeci, A. F., Ince, H., & Mercan, M. A. (2020). The intrinsic fallacy of market mechanism and private property rights in alleviating the tragedy of the commons. Applied Economics, 52(33), 3629–3636. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2020.1716938
Christudason, A. (2005). Impediments to the success of collective sales: Lessons for the property consultant. Property Management, 23(4), 271–285.
https://doi.org/10.1108/02637470510618415
Christudason, A. (2009). Property rights: Achieving a fine balance in collective sales of strata developments in Singapore. International Journal of Law in the Built Environment, 1(1), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.1108/17561450910950232
Christudason, A. (2010). Legal framework for collective sale of real estate in Singapore: Pot of gold for investors? Journal of Property Investment and Finance, 28(2), 109–122. https://doi.org/10.1108/14635781011024854
Christudason, A. (2018). Termination Legislation for Multi-owned Properties in Singapore: Righting the Wrongs: Multi-Owned Property in the Asia-Pacific Region View project. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351019112
Christudason, A., Kenna, P., & Lujanen, M. (2010). Legal challenges in ensuring regular maintenance and repairs of owner-occupied apartment blocks. In International Journal of Law in the Built Environment (Vol. 2, Issue 2, pp. 178–197).
https://doi.org/10.1108/17561451011058807
Colic-Peisker, V., Ong, R., & Wood, G. (2015). Asset poverty, precarious housing and ontological security in older age: an Australian case study. International Journal of Housing Policy, 15(2), 167–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616718.2014.984827
Crommelin, L., Easthope, H., Troy, L., & Randolph, B. (2020). A new pathway to displacement? The implications of less-than-unanimous strata renewal laws for vulnerable residents. Australian Planner, 56(4), 261–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2020.1854798
Deese, R. S. (2019). Transcending the Tragedy of the Commons. In Climate Change and the Future of Democracy, Environmental Challenges and Solution (pp. 71–85). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98307-3_5
Douglas, K., & Goodman, R. (2018). Addressing conflict within an owner’s corporation. In Multi-Owned Property in the Asia-Pacific Region: Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities (pp. 213–230). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56988-2_12
Dredge, D., & Coiacetto, E. (2011). Strata title: Towards a research agenda for informed planning practice. Planning Practice and Research, 26(4), 417–433.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2011.582383
Easthope, H. (2009). The fourth tier of governance: managing the future of our cities.
Easthope, H. (2015). The role of retirees in residential “private governments.” Journal of Urban Affairs, 37(3), 311–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/juaf.12138
Easthope, H., Crommelin, L., Gillon, C., Pinnegar, S., Ruming, K., & Liu, S. (2023). Redeveloping the compact city: the challenges of strata collective sales. Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPPEL-04-2023-0016
Easthope, H., Hudson, S., & Randolph, B. (2013). Urban renewal and strata scheme termination: Balancing communal management and individual property rights. Environment and Planning A, 45(6), 1421–1435. https://doi.org/10.1068/a4598
Easthope, H., & Randolph, B. (2009). Governing the compact city: The challenges of apartment living in Sydney, Australia. Housing Studies, 24(2), 243–259.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02673030802705433
Easthope, H., & Randolph, B. (2016). Experiencing density: The implications of strata titling for urban renewal in Australian cities. In Urban Regeneration in Australia: Policies, Processes and Projects of Contemporary Urban Change.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315548722
Easthope, H., Warnken, J., Sherry, C., Coiacetto, E., Dredge, D., Guilding, C., Johnston, N., Lamminmaki, D., & Reid, S. (2014). How property title impacts urban consolidation: A life cycle examination of multi-title developments. Urban Policy and Research, 32(3), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2014.899210
Goodman, R., & Douglas, K. (2010). Life in a master planned estate community and lifestyle or conflict and liability? Urban Policy and Research, 28(4), 451–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2010.528743
Guilding, C., Lamminmaki, D., & Warnken, J. (2015). Preparing strata titled communities for climate change: An empirical examination. Property Management, 33(4), 308–329. https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-10-2014-0040
Guilding, C., Warnken, J., Ardill, A., & Fredline, L. (2005). An agency theory perspective on the owner/manager relationship in tourism-based condominiums. Tourism Management, 26(3), 409–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2003.11.021
Heller, M. (2013). The Tragedy of the Anticommons: A Concise Introduction and Lexicon. http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu
JKPTG Persekutuan. (2020). Kajian Keperluan Penamatan dan Pembangunan Semula Skim Bangunan Berstrata. In ISBN 978-967-18650-0-2 (Vol. 1).
Johnston, N., Guilding, C., & Reid, S. (2012). Examining Developer Actions That Embed Protracted Conflict And Dysfunctionality In Staged Multi-Owned Residential SCHEMES. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268206035
Johnston, N., & Too, E. (2015). Multi-owned properties in Australia: a governance typology of issues and outcomes. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 8(4), 451–470. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHMA-02-2015-0005
Judd, S., Randolph, B., & Easthope, H. (2012). Governing the compact city: the role and effectiveness of strata management.
Lai, L. W. C., Chau, K. W., & Cheung, P. A. C. W. (2018). Urban renewal and redevelopment: Social justice and property rights with reference to Hong Kong’s constitutional capitalism. Cities, 74, 240–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2017.12.010
Leshinsky, R., Newton, P., & Glackin, S. (2018). The unintended consequences of strata title for urban regeneration. In Multi-Owned Property in the Asia-Pacific Region: Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56988-2_2
Liat C., T., Wee Vern, T., Kam Seng, L., Liang, T. M., Bin Ujang, M. U., Azri, S. binti, Ai Chin, T., & Kathitasapathy, S. A. L. (2022). Willingness of the owners in the integrated development to establish the subsidiary management corporation. Property Management, 40(3), 370–387. https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-04-2021-0025
Lin, C. L., Chan, E. H. W., & Chiang, W. H. (2022). Urban renewal governance and manipulation of plot ratios: A comparison between Taipei, Hong Kong and, Singapore. Land Use Policy, 119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106158
Liu, E., Easthope, H., Ho, C., & Buckle, C. (2018). Diversity and participation in private apartment buildings: a review of the literature. Geographical Research, 56(4), 401–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12282
Lujanen, M. (2010). Legal challenges in ensuring regular maintenance and repairs of owner?occupied apartment blocks. International Journal of Law in the Built Environment, 2(2), 178–197. https://doi.org/10.1108/17561451011058807
McIntosh, M. J., & Morse, J. M. (2015). Situating and constructing diversity in semi-structured interviews. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 2.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2333393615597674
Md Zan, R., Nur, S., Roslan, A., Mustafa, K., & Senawi, A. (2018). Establishment of share unit formula for strata residential buildings and its implication to buyer and unit owner. In International Journal of Engineering & Technology (Vol. 7, Issue 2). www.sciencepubco.com/index.php/IJET
Mehmood, H. U., Ujang, U., Azri, S., & Choon, T. L. (2022). CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN MODEL FOR MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT OF HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL STRATA. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives, 48(4/W3-2022), 77–82. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-4-W3-2022-77-2022
Padros, C. V. (2021). Doing Rapid Qualitative Research (Alysha Owen, Ed.). SAGE Publication Ltd.
Parker, D. (2019). Compulsory property acquisition for urban densification. Pacific Rim Property Research Journal, 25(2), 175–176.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14445921.2019.1643276
Pinnegar, S., Randolph, B., & Freestone, R. (2015). Incremental urbanism: Characteristics and implications of residential renewal through owner-driven demolition and rebuilding. Town Planning Review, 86(3), 279–301. https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2015.18
Puustinen, T. L. M., & Viitanen, K. J. (2015a). Infill Development on Collectively Owned Residential Properties: Understanding the Decision-making Process – Case Studies in Helsinki. Housing, Theory and Society, 32(4), 472–498.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2015.1053979
Puustinen, T., & Lysnar, P. (2014). The Time for Intensity? Governance And Decision-Making in Relation to Major Repairs In Multi-Owned Residential Buildings In Finland And New Zealand. Pacific Rim Real Estate Society
www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/2009/en20091599.
Puustinen, T., Pennanen, K., Falkenbach, H., Arvola, A., & Viitanen, K. (2017). Financing major repairs in apartment buildings through infill development: Exploring views and benefit requirements of the owner-occupiers. Property Management, 35(5), 508–527. https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-08-2016-0045
Puustinen, T., Pennanen, K., Falkenbach, H., & Viitanen, K. (2018). The distribution of perceived advantages and disadvantages of infill development among owners of a commonhold and its’ implications. Land Use Policy, 75, 303–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.03.051
Ram-Tiktin, E. (2018). The Tragedy of the Commons and Population Health: The State’s Intervention in an Individual’s Actions and Choices from a Capability Perspective. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 19(4), 438–455.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2018.1471672
Randolph, B., & Easthope, H. (2007). 'Governing the Compact City’: The governance of strata title developments in Sydney. Paper Prepared for the 2007 ENHR International Conference, Sustainable Urban Areas, Rotterdam.
Reid, S., Lloyd, K., O’Brien, W., & Guilding, C. (2017). Power, Ethopolitics and Community Relations: Complexities of Living in Multi-owned Properties. Housing, Theory and Society, 34(4), 439–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2017.1281162
Renae Johnston, N., & Reid, S. (2013). Multi-owned developments: A life cycle review of a developing research area. Property Management, 31(5), 366–388. https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-01-2013-0003
Shaw, K. (2013). Australia’s Unintended Cities: The Impact of Housing on Urban Redevelopment. Urban Policy and Research, 31(3), 379–383.
https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2013.807003
Shin, J., Rajabifard, A., Kalantari, M., & Atazadeh, B. (2020). Applying BIM to support dispute avoidance in managing multi-owned buildings. Journal of Computational Design and Engineering, 7(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/jcde/qwaa057
Shukri, I. M., & Maidin, A. J. (2010). Malaysian strata titles: law and procedure. Sweet & Maxwell Asia.
Sim, L.-L., Lum, S.-K., & Choo Malone-Lee, L. (2002). Property rights, collective sales and government intervention: averting a tragedy of the anticommons. In Habitat International (Vol. 26).
Susanne Friese. (2012). Qualitative Data Analysis with ATLAS.ti. SAGE Publication Ltd.
Hadi, T. S. K. (2014). Cadangan En Bloc Sales Di Semenanjung Malaysia Dan Perbandingannya Dengan Singapura Dan Hong Kong. In Jurnal Pentadbiran Tanah (Vol. 4, Issue 1).
Teo Keang Sood. (2023). Strata Title in Singapore and Malaysia (7th ed.). LexisNexis.
Thompson, S. E. L., Easthope, H., & Davison, G. (2022). Including the majority: Examining the local social interactions of renters in four case study condominiums in Sydney. Journal of Urban Affairs, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2045869
Ti, E. S. (2020). Towards fairly apportioning sale proceeds in a collective sale of strata property. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 43(4). https://doi.org/10.53637/bbwt2920
Ti, E. S. (2022). Strata Plan Cancellations In Australasia: A Comparative Analysis Of Nine Jurisdictions. Monash University Law Review, 48(1). https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/4934918/Young-Kiwis-greatest-fear
Troy, L., Easthope, H., Randolph, B., & Pinnegar, S. (2015). Renewing the Compact City Interim Report City Futures Research Centre Renewing the Compact City: Interim Report. www.cityfutures.net.au
Troy, L., Easthope, H., Randolph, B., & Pinnegar, S. (2017). ‘It depends on what you mean by the term rights’: strata termination and housing rights. Housing Studies, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2016.1171827
Troy, L., Randolph, B., Crommelin, L., Easthope, H., & Pinnegar, S. (2015). Economically viable and socially sustainable approaches to urban redevelopment Executive summary Renewing the Compact City. In City Futures Research Centre. www.cityfutures.net.au
Webb, B., & Webber, S. (2017). The implications of condominium neighbourhoods for long-term urban revitalization. Cities, 61, 48–57.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2016.11.006
Williams, J. T. (1991). Real estate development as an option. The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00173124
Yamada, A., & Yoshihara, N. (2008). Mechanism design for a solution to the tragedy of commons. Review of Economic Design, 11(4), 253–270.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10058-007-0035-2
Zakiah, S., & Khadijah, H. (2016). The En Bloc Sale mechanism as a method of strata scheme termination and urban renewal: a review. Sustainable Development and Planning VIII, 1, 381–392. https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp160321
(Bakri et al., 2024)
Bakri, I., Samsudin, S., & Muin, Z. A. (2024). Unpacking The Tragedy of The Anticommons: A Qualitative Study Addressing its Influence on Strata Subdivision Termination for Urban Redevelopment. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(7), 1250–1272.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
