A man named Li from Jiangsu province in China discovered that a former home owner had been living secretly in the basement of his house for the past seven years. The shocking revelation came to light while Li was cleaning his property, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
During his cleaning, Li found a hidden door behind the staircase, which led to a surprisingly well-equipped basement. This underground space was not just an empty room but featured decent lighting, a ventilation system, and even a small bar, indicating someone had been living there. The signs of recent habitation were unmistakable, leaving Li with an unsettling feeling. He said he was “creeped out” after the discovery.
Li confronted the previous home owner, a woman identified as Zhang. He accused her of withholding information about the house during its sale. However, Zhang countered by claiming that the basement was never part of the property she sold to him. “I sold you the house, but I never said the basement was included. If the basement belongs to you, where am I supposed to relax in my free time?” she reportedly said.
Interestingly, how Zhang entered and exited the basement without detection remains a mystery. This peculiar situation drew comparisons on Chinese social media to the plot of the Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite,’ where a character covertly resides in a house’s basement. However, the reality for Li was far from cinematic; it was a legal headache.
Determined to resolve the issue, Li took the matter to court. The court ruled in favor of Li, affirming his legal ownership of the entire property, including the basement. Consequently, Zhang was ordered to pay financial compensation to Li for the undisclosed use of the space and the subsequent distress caused.
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