Owner of "nail house" pleads for demolition, settlement

The "nail house" sticks out in Shuguangxilu Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing. (Photo: Chinanews.com)
In recent years, the public is perhaps used to hearing stories about Chinese home owners who refuse to allow their property to be demolished, and of violent scuffles due to their futile quest.

The term "nail house" normally refers to homes belonging to Chinese residents who refuse to be relocated and their homes are said to stick out like nails in an otherwise modernized environment.

But the case of Zhang Changfu, who owns a "nail house" in downtown Beijing between the 3rd and 4th ring roads, involves different circumstances.

He is also pleading with the authorities - but he is in fact beseeching them to demolish his home.

The problem apparently centers around what Zhang and his family see as an inadequate offer of compensation.

The land on which the home is built belongs to Zhang and his brother Zhang Changyou. Due to a dispute over the demolition compensation with the relevant village authorities, the Zhang brothers' house remained standing while their neighbors gradually all moved out and buildings sprang up along the road.

About eight years have gone by, and the village officials didn't show up to negotiate. Representatives of the demolition office have reportedly visited, but they refused to demolish the house and resettle the family, saying the land is "useless".

Zhang's property is located on Shuguangxilu Road, a spacious avenue, and flanked by high-end residential compounds.

Members of the public have complained about the home, saying it causes inconvenience to drivers.

This is because the eight-lane road narrows to two lanes at the site of the "nail house". "The traffic slows down a great deal during rush hour and I was late for school quite a few times," one student complained.

Local residents are irritated by Zhang's stubbornness, saying the situation has affected business in the area.

But Zhang feels wronged. He is an elderly farmer with a monthly income of 600 yuan.

"There is no bathroom in the house. I have to ride my bike for ten minutes to reach the nearest public toilet," said Zhang's wife, Liu Ying.

Zhang has erected a wall around his house to stop rainwater flowing into his yard, and to create some sort of a barrier between his home and the parking lot right next to it, where cars are parked close to his front door.

Because of the nail house, the builder who is contracted to build the road cannot complete the Shuguangxilu Road construction project, and the project office has been waiting for three years. The company informed the urban affairs committee of Chaoyang District, but did not receive any reply.

The deputy secretary of Taiyanggong village, Chaoyang District, Huang Hongchun, said that as early as 2003 local government offered Zhang's brother compensation of 450,000 yuan, or two resettlement apartments, when the district planned to develop a high-end community, Global Village, in the area of Zhang's property. But Huang said Zhang rejected the offer.

"I would like us to get reasonable compensation, based on the market price of the property," Zhang's wife said.

But the local government won't budge, and the Global Village now stands next to the rundown home.

Huang said that if they offer Zhang a higher sum, it would be unfair to the other 229 families in the area who were relocated in recent years.

The price of residential property in that area has now soared from 8,000 yuan per square meters to nearly 30,000 yuan.

Source: Globaltimes.cn