E. China city cancels house expropriation for first time

For the first time ever Jiaxing city in east China's Zhejiang Province has canceled a house expropriation plan after it failed to get sufficient support from homeowners.

Twenty-one homeowners in three run-down condominiums built 40 years ago in Shanqingzha residential community will not be part of the city's upcoming old town renovation, while the other 589 households are busy moving into new homes.

Under the province's 2014 house expropriation rules, homes cannot be requisitioned for public purposes unless at least 90 percent of the homeowners concerned agree.

When the number of proprietors exceeds 100, the proportion must be higher than 90 percent. For the Shanqingzha case, the local government raised the threshold to 95 percent.

The 610 households were divided into six groups on six pieces of land, and collective bargaining with Shanqingzha House Expropriation Service Center started mid-October.

Group number five had 21 households, but was the only group that failed to get sufficient support to complete the transaction. Two families held out for more money, reducing the supporting families to 90.4 percent.

UNEXPECTED CANCELLATION

Shi Kandan, an employee with the expropriation center, said that when the official cancellation reached the two remaining families they were taken aback.

"When I knocked on the door of Miao Meili the second day after the negotiation deadline, she jokingly said she knew we would budge," Shi said. "When I handed out the deactivation notice, she was stunned and disappointed."

Miao and another objecting family, surnamed Shi, each asked for an extra 50,000 yuan in compensation. If either accepted, the move would go through for all 21 households.

"The amount is not much, but we will not make an exception in the compensation negotiation, otherwise it's unfair to others," said Xie Xiaomin, director of the service center.

The 610 households can choose a property swap or money for compensation, and most found the latter more appealing, according to Cai Qi, deputy chief of the service center.

Aside from the present value of the property assessed by an agency chosen by the owners, each household also receives cash compensation including a bonus amounting to 20 percent of the property value, allowances equivalent to the value of a 16-square-meter room and another 30,000-yuan for inking the deal, Cai said.

Bi Hongsheng, who lives in a 61 square meter apartment, would have been compensated 720,000 yuan.

"The compensation is much higher than the selling price of our home," said the 72-year-old, one of the earliest to have signed.

But his dream of having a new home was broken by the two families who opposed the deal.

Bi and other neighbors visited the two families many times to persuade either to agree, but failed.

Miao and Shi initially each asked for an extra of 100,000 yuan before finally asking for 50,000 yuan as the deadline approached, according to Cai Qi.

NAIL HOUSEHOLDS UNWELCOME

Shi Kandan said that most residents were eager to move out of their outdated homes, but added that there was a mentality from those that signed later that they could get more money.

Chinese people use the term "nail houses" for those that refuse to move, as they stick out like nails stuck firm into the ground. Those who sign earlier are known as "sedan-chair carriers" as they make the few nail households all the more important.

With expropriation rules clear to the public, Shi said much of her energy had been used to ensure people that there would be no differential treatment.

"We promised one yardstick for all, but some people still chanced it," Shi said.

Yang Jianhua, a sociologist with the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that every house expropriation was a test of the rule of law, justice and greed.

Since 2011, the State Council has forbidden the use of violence, menace or any illegal means, such as the severing of water, heating, gas, and electricity supplies, or road blockages by any individual or institution, to force people out of their homes.

Democratic decision-making by proprietors and full disclosure of information according to law are now mandatory.

Yang Jianhua said that the communication and information disclosure were essential to ensuring lawful house expropriations.

A SECOND CHANCE

Along the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, Shanqingzha is one of the oldest residential communities in Jiaxing and was built when state-owned Chinese enterprises provided employees cradle-to-grave benefits.

Named after a floodgate dating back to 990 A.D., the Shanqingzha community is aging fast, with the majority of homes leased or vacant.

Most of the residents are either elderly, working as boatmen, garment makers or silk workers about to retire. Their children, annoyed by the poor conditions of the homes, have moved into new communities elsewhere.

Eager to move out, Bi Hongsheng paid a down payment of 50,000 yuan for a new apartment when negotiations were still ongoing. But with the expropriation canceled he can no longer afford to buy a better home.

Blamed by her neighbors and former colleagues, Miao said that she would change her mind if she had a second chance.

However, Xie Xiaomin said that it is unknown if there would be another opportunity. Endi