In Sichuan, Chengdu, Jin Tang County, Ms. Li revealed to the media that she recently learned from her neighbor that a second-hand apartment she purchased 8 years ago on the 7th floor of the top floor has a tomb directly above the living room floor. The incident has sparked heated discussions.
According to Sichuan Observer, Ms. Li stated that for over 8 years, the property had been used for rental purposes until October 4th of this year when she learned from her neighbor that there is a tomb located on the rooftop terrace and directly above the living room floor, where a 7-year-old boy who passed away in September 2009 due to illness was buried.
Neighbors disclosed that the boy used to live in the courtyard. As for why there is a tomb on the rooftop, the neighbors claimed they were unaware of the situation.
Jiupai News reported that on October 4th this year, during a casual chat with her neighbor, Ms. Li was asked about the “tomb on the rooftop,” which led her to discover a makeshift soil tomb built with construction debris on the rooftop terrace directly above her living room floor.
Ms. Li reported the incident to the police, and upon arrival, they excavated the tomb and took the discovered partial skeletal remains for identification.
Ms. Li believes that the previous landlord deliberately concealed the existence of the tomb on the top floor when selling the second-hand property, which has had an impact on the property value and rights. She hopes to contact the former landlord to hold them accountable, but has been unable to reach them temporarily.
The incident has sparked discussions across various online platforms.
Some netizens expressed shock at the fact that people had been living in the house for over 8 years without knowing about the tomb!
Many others questioned why the boy was not cremated or buried in a legal cemetery but instead laid to rest in a public area on the rooftop, which remains a mystery. Why did the neighbors not raise any objections at that time? This raises significant concerns.
A Weibo user, “Pixiu Perspective,” stated that if the former landlord was aware but deliberately concealed the information, it constitutes fraudulent behavior in the transaction, and buyers have the right to hold them accountable. This incident also exposes the significant blind spots in second-hand property transactions, as hidden issues in public areas like rooftop terraces are hard to detect during house inspections. Apart from inspecting the property itself, potential hazards in public areas must not be ignored when purchasing a house.
A prominent Weibo influencer with 1.164 million followers, “Elephant’s View,” mentioned that the rooftop is a common area owned by the residential community. The existence of a tomb going undiscovered and unattended for over a decade raises questions about the property management company’s negligence in routine inspections and management practices.
According to an October 8th report by Jiemu News, Zhu Xue, a partner at Beijing Strategy (Nanjing) Law Firm, stated that the presence of a tomb on the rooftop of a property can significantly impact a buyer’s willingness to purchase and the transaction price. The homeowner should proactively disclose this information before a transaction. If the previous owner was aware but failed to disclose this information, their concealment directly led to Ms. Li purchasing the property under false pretenses, and they should bear the responsibility of returning the purchase amount and compensating for losses after the contract is rescinded.
Zhu Xue further mentioned that property companies have a duty to manage public areas in the residential community. The existence of a tomb on the rooftop for an extended period without detection or action raises concerns about the property company’s oversight and management.