Demolition of car store illegal, claims owner

The owner of an auto repair and sales center, which was torn down Wednesday to make way for a real estate project in Haidian district, said Thursday that she would resort to legal action for compensation over the alleged illegal forced demolition of the premises.

More than 200 people wearing black clothes and respirators went to Xijietong Car Service Center, in Liangjiadian village, Xibeiwang township around 4:30 am on Wednesday, witnesses alleged Thursday.

An employee of the store, surnamed Sui, said that about 50 men broke into their dormitory and woke up more than 10 people sleeping inside.

"All of us were ordered to leave the dorm immediately without taking any belongings, such as mobile phones and money. Some colleagues requested to fetch their personal belongings, but the men refused them," said Sui.

From a video recorded by an employee on his cellphone, some trucks and cranes went into the store, followed by dozens of people wearing black and carrying shovels.　

The Global Times found that the area, including a repair workshop, canteen, offices, dormitory and car display showroom, has been reduced to rubble, with dozens of cars parked on the debris beside the center.

Liu Wei, owner and manager of the center, said that more than 30 new cars from the showroom and another 10 new cars were moved to the west side of the center before the demolition, but some were left with scratches.

"Besides the new cars, we lost many installation kits, certificates for the new cars and car keys, which were buried in the debris or missing. According to our preliminary estimates, the losses will reach 2 million to 2.3 million yuan [$0.31-0.36 million]," Liu Wei said.

The employees said they now had to sleep on the roof of the dormitory.

"We have to stay here day and night, otherwise the new cars and other important things may go missing," said an employee, also surnamed Liu.

A notice to inform the store to move within seven days was posted at the entrance of the store, issued by Liangjiadian village committee on August 21.

"The village committee has decided to take back the land by coercive measures if the center refuses to move in time," the notice said.

The village committee could not be reached Thursday, but the township government responded to this incident by saying that they never sent anyone to demolish the car service center.

"We were not involved in this demolition. I think those people were sent by the real estate company," alleged a woman from the administration office of Xibeiwang township government.

A representative of the property developers, Xinfenghuang Real Estate Company, surnamed Wang, told the Beijing Times Wednesday that as the land is the property of the village, then the village committee is the main party in charge of the demolition.

Liu Wei said the reason they refused to move was because they had not reached consensus over compensation with the village committee.

"They came to discuss the compensation in late June, but only promised to give us 2.35 million yuan in compensation, including the business losses. But merely rebuilding the showroom will cost 3 million yuan, so I didn't agree with that," she said.

No one from the village committee or township government contacted her after the demolition, claimed Liu Wei.

The new demolition law, which came into effect in 2011, forbids local governments from executing their administrative right to demolish houses without residents' consent, unless it is first approved by a court.

Wang Cailiang, a lawyer and specialist in demolition regulations, said that forced demolition is forbidden until a compensation deal is reached, according to the 2011 regulation.

"It's illegal to tear down the center without approval from the local court. The notice issued by the village committee is invalid," he said Thursday.

He suggested Liu Wei should request compensation for the losses from the demolition from the party who initiated the illegal act.

"If she is refused compensation, a court action will be her best course of action," he said.