construction crew working on new asphalt road
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
March 26, 2024 Ā·  3 min read

Chinese City Built Motorway Bridge Around Tiny House After Owner Refused To Move

A motorway bridge was constructed around a house in the Chinese city of Guangzhou- but that is not the most interesting thing about it. Rather, this bridge was built around the house after stubborn homeowners refused to move. In fact, the homeowner refused to sell the house to the government for close to a decade. This building has now been called the ā€˜nail houseā€™ because the owner went and rejected compensation from the developer who was contracted to demolish it. This stubbornness shown by the owner has resulted in the house looking at the two wings of the Haizhuyong Bridge. According to a local TV station, the one-story house has a 40-square meter flat. The most sardonic thing about it would be the darkness and the noise this flat would be surrounded by. 

The highway built around the stubborn homeowner's house.
Image Credits: Weibo

Interestingly, the stubborn homeowner has no regret for her decision. MailOnline reported that the woman refused to move because the government had not offered her a proper replacement property. In fact, she is quite happy with the consequences of her actions- irrespective of what others might think of it. She stated, ā€œYou think this environment is poor, but I feel itā€™s quiet, liberating, pleasant, and comfortable.ā€ One can assume that she is talking about the environment before the bridge was built. The government authorities did mention that they had already earmarked the plot for demolition back in 2010. While they had prepared it for a decade, they didnā€™t find it in the same position that they thought it would be. 

Read: Woman Gets 87 Properties For Price of One Home Thanks to Copy-Paste Error

Stubborn Homeowners Going Head-To-Head Against The Government- Who Would Win?

According to the officials, Ms. Liang- the stubborn homeowner- was offered several different flats along with cash compensation. And yet, she refused to budge from her home. Nevertheless, the authorities mentioned that they had continuously communicated with Liang during the construction. It was also mentioned that several engineers constructed relevant safety systems before the bridge was constructed. All in the attempt to make sure that she would still be able to live there.

Interestingly, this isnā€™t the first time that a stubborn homeowner has made the government compromise on certain ideas:

1. Mary Cook:

Mary Cook's narrow home.
Image Credit: wirednewyork.com | BoredPanda

Mary Cook, another homeowner, had refused to sell her narrow home. And this took place while the houses around her were going down. Therefore, now one can see her house squeezed tightly between a couple of giant neighbors. One would often find semblance with a childrenā€™s storybook. 

2. Vera Coking:

Another homeowner, by the name of Vera Coking, initially refused to sell her home to Bob Guccione. The latter wanted to build a casino. Later, she also refused to sell her house to Donald Trump. 

Read: 79-Year-Old Vet with Dementia Evicted from Home He OWNED Over Unpaid Property Taxes

3. Toronto Duplex:

The Toronto Duplex cut in half.
Image Credits: The Huffington Post

Sometimes, the government had to take different trajectories with stubborn homeowners. When one resident of a Toronto duplex didnā€™t want to sell, the government authorities cut the house in half. One user mentioned, ā€œThis is on St. Patrick Street in downtown Toronto. Itā€™s not new exactly, back in 1950 they split this house, the apartment complex now stands on what would have been the other half of the duplex.ā€

4. Randal Acker:

Also, when Randal Acker decided that he wouldnā€™t sell his Queen Anne Victorian home, there was no other option but to change things. This resulted in the Portland University building a huge residence hall all around it.

5. Salah Oudjani:

Salah Oudjani in front of the coffee house.
Image Credits: BoredPanda

Salah has been a worker at this coffee house in the Northern France district of Roubaix for over 46 years. As such, he refuses to give it up. This stubborn homeowner sure has patience!

Keep Reading: College student tired of paying rent builds a cozy tiny home for $15K to live debt-free

Sources

  1. Chinese City Built Motorway Bridge Around Tiny House After Owner Refused To Move.” Lad Bible. Rebecca Shepherd. August 6, 2020.
  2. 35 Times Stubborn Homeowners Refused To Move, And Faced Unexpected Consequences.” Bored Panda. Marija Bern.