Advertisement
Trending in China
People & CultureTrending in China

Bad Neighbours: Nanjing residential lift installation sabotaged for three years by row between top and bottom floors

  • The dispute got so bad that a top floor flat owner sued to take the case to court
  • One resident accused the bottom floor of sabotaging an electric metering system used for installation

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A dispute in Nanjing has delayed the installation of an elevator in an old residential building by three years (not pictured). Photo: Getty Images
Kevin McSpadden

Navigating disputes between neighbours is a part of adulthood the world over, and sometimes the bickering can spiral out of control and transform into full-blown feuds.

Advertisement
This appears to be the case in Nanjing, in Jiangsu province in eastern China, where residents on the upper and lower floors of an old residential building have engaged in a three-year-long legal row over a stalled lift installation.
The basics are that residents of the bottom floors appear to have blocked the construction of a new lift, citing concerns about how it would affect the lighting, ventilation and foot traffic near their properties.
The lift dispute happened in an old building in Nanjing in eastern China. Photo: Getty Images
The lift dispute happened in an old building in Nanjing in eastern China. Photo: Getty Images

The upper floor occupants are angry because the lifts would dramatically improve access to their properties.

The residents tried to compromise, with one suggestion being that property owners the upper floors should pay the lower floors to compensate them for the headache the construction process would create. One owner of the upper floor balked at the idea, saying he had gone through the necessary channels to install the lift.

Unable to reach an agreement, an owner of the top floor property decided to file a lawsuit and take the case to court.

Advertisement

Describing the quarrel on People’s Daily’s Message Board for Leaders, an online avenue for people to write grievances that get seen by government officials, a resident wrote in late January:

Advertisement