Tan Xiaomi

A WOMAN has refused to sell her apartment after housing prices soared over the past two months, the city’s notarization office said yesterday.

The woman, surnamed Chen, claims the authorization notarization she provided to the buyer was fake, so the contract she signed with the buyer was not legally binding. Therefore, Chen said she didn’t have to sell her apartment.

The municipal land resources and housing management bureau halted the deal for three days yesterday.

However, the local notary office said Chen could face a penalty if it is confirmed that she provided them with fake documents.

Chen signed a contract with a buyer surnamed Gao in late April, and received 250,000 yuan (US$32,894) as a deposit. The two agreed to complete all legal procedures by June 15.

While the apartment is jointly owned by Chen and her daughter surnamed Cai, Chen presented a notarization signed by Cai at the same time, stating the daughter had authorized her mother to sell the property.

However, Chen refused to sell the 170-square-meter apartment in Longgang District in June, after the rise in housing prices.

She will ‘lose’ some 1 million yuan if the apartment is sold to Gao at an agreed price of 2.55 million yuan, after housing prices rose from 12,000 to 18,000 yuan per square meter in two months.

Chen claimed that she took a stand-in to the authorization notarization, as her daughter is now studying abroad in New Zealand.

The notarization office first revoked the authorization notarization June 18, and notified the land resources and housing management bureau.

A director from the notarization office surnamed Luo said the case was still under investigation, and anyone found to have provided fake documents to the office will be held legally responsible.

Chen bought the apartment last year for 1.67 million yuan.

Statistics from the city’s intermediate and district courts show that disputes related to home-selling contracts have increased by nearly 30 percent in the past six months. Most disputes involved property owners who were found to have breached a contract.