258 Beijing buildings kept from being transferred, mortgaged

As of Aug 4, 258 Beijing buildings with unauthorized parts have been prevented from being transferred and mortgaged this year, Beijing News reported on Aug 13.

A city official said the buildings were mostly private villas or bungalows that were rebuilt or expanded without authorization.

Once buildings are found to have unauthorized parts, city officials will inform the local housing authorities not to transfer and mortgage, and the buildings will be unfrozen only after the unauthorized parts are removed, the official said.

According to government statistics released in March, 10,381 buildings with unauthorized parts were found in 173 of the 221 low-density communities in Beijing.

An official who works in the department that deals with illegal use of land and illegal constructions said, "Those illegal buildings in the dwelling districts are hard to deal with."

Owners of those buildings often don't cooperate in the lengthy procedures of affirmation, notification, etc before the unauthorized parts can be removed, the official said.

An insider told Beijing News that property management companies often turn a blind eye to illegal construction to avoid possible conflicts with the owners, who may retaliate by refusing to pay their property fees.

According to the Beijing Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, those property management companies will be fined once they are found not to have fulfilled their responsibilities.

In February alone, the commission fined two companies that did not deal with property owners who performed unauthorized construction under the guise of decorating.