Beijing homeowners left with nothing but questions after rural villas demolished
- Development of 170 ‘illegally built’ properties in area 50km north of capital razed to the ground by ‘thugs’, former resident says
- Eviction orders were issued to owners in March by the same authorities that sold them the properties in 2007
The owner of a holiday home in a rural area of Beijing had a horrifying ordeal last week when hordes of demolition workers and armed “thugs” descended on his village and began tearing down his property and those of his 170 neighbours.
The incident at Xitai village in Huairou district – about 50km (30 miles) north of the Chinese capital – began on July 28, according to former resident Sheng Hong.
“I was terrified. I’d never experienced anything like that before,” he said. “The people who rushed in created an atmosphere of terror.”
Sheng said he had owned the property, which he bought for 500,000 yuan (US$72,000), since 2007, but in March received an eviction order from the Jiuduhe township government, which administers the area, saying it was an illegal construction.
The notice – a copy of which was seen by the South China Morning Post – ordered him to “take down this illegal building without condition by March 25, 2020 … [or it will be] demolished in accordance with the law”.
Sheng contacted the Huairou district government to complain and also filed for an administrative review, but after receiving no reply from either now plans to pursue legal action.
“I will use legal means to sue the trespassers and demolishers … and defend my rights,” he said, though added he was not optimistic about his chances of success.
“I have no expectations because the case will probably not be accepted. I will finish what I can do, and wait for the day when I can get a fair trial.”
The Post’s calls and faxes to the Jiuduhe and Huairou governments went unanswered.
Sheng, 66, said most of his neighbours moved out in the days after the raid, as their water and electricity supplies had been switched off.
Those who remained were offered a deal.
“When they [the demolition crews] came, they said they would give us 5,000 yuan to move out if we signed to say we’d given our consent, but they said nothing about any compensation [for the loss of the properties],” Sheng said.
“It was insulting and most of the owners refused and did not take the money.”
The demolition went ahead nonetheless. Sheng said he moved out on July 31 and within days most of the village had been razed to the ground.
“I’m probably the lucky one as I have other properties,” he said. “But what about those families who lost their only home?”
Yan Huafeng, a lawyer who has worked on a number of similar cases, said if the homes at Xitai had been built illegally, it was up to the local authorities to handle the matter in accordance with the law.
“If the government wants to demolish the homes it should follow the legal procedures and give the homeowners a reasonable period of time to make their case through administrative review or litigation,” he said.
A woman who runs a shop just outside the village said she feared her home might be next in line for the wrecking ball.
“When the government decided to demolish the buildings, there were many people who didn’t want to go,” she said.
“Maybe my place will be demolished too, but I haven’t received a notice. But when it’s the government, there’s nothing much you can do about it,” said the woman, who asked not to be named.
The owner of a nearby hotel, who also asked to remain anonymous, said all of the main roads in and out of the village were blocked for several days while the demolition was taking place.
“People aren’t brave enough to do anything about it. With that many police around, you do as you’re told,” he said.
