Society

Hundreds of homebuyers brawl over apartments with developer

By Yang Yijun (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-10 08:03

SHANGHAI - Hundreds of hopeful homebuyers brawled in Zhejiang's provincial capital of Hangzhou on Saturday over suspicions a property developer had unfairly distributed numbers determining the order of apartments' selection and purchase.

The opening of Deyi Konggang International Garden residential compound, located near the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, attracted hundreds of hopeful purchasers, who confronted the developer, Dandy Holding Group Co, and demanded the numbers be redistributed.

One man was rushed to the hospital after he was beaten into a coma during the conflict, which occurred at a European-style house where the transactions were made, the Hangzhou-based Youth Times reported on Sunday.

Local police told China Daily the physical violence had ended by the time law enforcement arrived and that police are investigating the matter.

The developer declined to comment on Sunday.

The incident highlighted the home-buying frenzy that has been accelerating as property prices continue soaring nationwide. Similar but smaller conflicts have been taking place across the country.

The Hangzhou project attracted a large number of prospective buyers , because it offered a limited number of relatively inexpensive apartments in the city, where housing prices are among the country's highest.

A total of 448 apartments in four buildings went on sale on Saturday at an average price of 8,000 yuan ($1,200) a square meter.

A buyer surnamed Ma told the local newspaper he and other potential purchasers were told on Thursday to pick up their numbers at the sales office. The numbers allowed them to select their preferred apartments.

The developer arranged for 22 buses to park outside the sales office on Saturday to shelter buyers from cold weather. Potential purchasers were seated according to their numbers.

But they became suspicious the developer had leaked information to some hopeful homebuyers who lined up for their numbers on Wednesday night. They also believed the developer had issued more numbers than there were apartments.

"There are only 448 apartments, so it's impossible for the people assigned to buses after the 15th to buy an apartment, given that every bus has at least 30 seats," the Youth Times quoted a buyer as saying on Sunday.

"So I spent 5,500 yuan for a spot on the 6th bus."

Another buyer surnamed Cui said she rushed to the sales office immediately after receiving the developer's text message, but the first 14 buses had already been booked.

A Dandy Holding Group official surnamed Gao declined to comment on the brawl but said the developer had made a mistake by issuing more numbers than there were apartments and promised to open an additional building for sale, the local newspaper reported.