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Homeowner Rights and Guarantees in Beijing

The People’s Government of Beijing Municipality on January 22, 2009, issued the Opinion on Promoting the Sound Development of the Real Estate Market with regard to Carrying out the File No. 131 (2008) issued by the General Office of the State Council on December 20, 2008 (Opinion). In addition to encouraging housing purchases and lowing taxes and fees related to them, the Opinion suspended a regulation issued on February 2, 2009, that limited housing purchases by people from outside of China from January 1 to December 31, 2009.

According to the old regulation, foreign residents in China who had worked or studied in China for more than a year were permitted to buy one residence for self-use or self-habitation in accordance with their practical needs. In addition, residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan could buy a residence described as “commodity housing” in certain areas, according to their actual living needs.

Things have changed: now, under the influence of the current global financial storm, many predict that housing prices in Beijing will tumble, creating opportunities for investment.

But buyers are encouraged to be aware of and to follow laws governing transactions such as house-purchasing deals; special attention should be paid to laws such as the Property Right Law of the People’s Republic of China (PR Law) so their homeowners’ rights can be exercised properly and ensured.

•      The establishment of the unified real estate registration system ensures the rights of homebuyers and owners.

“Article No. 9” of the PR Law stipulates that the right to establishing, changing, transferring or eliminating a property right as regards a real estate transaction is not legally binding until the transaction is legally registered.

•      The establishment of the principle of the public notice and credit system

In the absence of a proper real estate transaction registration system, ignorant or unscrupulous people sometimes sell the same house twice (legally or in fact). To ensure the security of a housing purchase, buyers should make every effort to properly register their purchase at that time.

•      The unification of the real estate registration system and the simplification of housing purchase procedures

According to “Article No. 10” of the PRL, the registration of a real estate transaction should take place in the jurisdiction where a house is located. (For house buyers, this is where the house is purchased.)

•      Registration fees are set by laws

 According to “Article No. 22” of the PRL, registration fees should be assessed according to each specific case and not just with regard to the space or volume of a property or as a percentage of its price.

•      Registration institutions shall be held liable for their errors, pay compensation

According to “Article No. 21” of the PRL, if a party falsely registers a real estate transaction and causes losses to others, the party shall be held liable compensating that loss. Registering institutions, too, shall give compensation for their errors and the losses they may have caused to others. After making compensation, the registering institution can assess a fee against the person who caused the error.

•      Clarifying common property rights

According to “Article No. 73” of the PRL, the roads, except public roads, within a residential property development belong to all the owners. Likewise, greenbelts within a residential area belong to all their owners, except for public or privately held greenbelts. Similarly, other public places, public facilities and structures for community services within a residential area belong to all their owners.

•      Within the residential area, parking plots or garages shall first meet the needs of their owners.

Some development companies sell the parking plots or garage at a high price to people outside the community; leading to the lack of parking lots for residents in the community. According to “Article No. 74” of the PRL, within the construction area, the programmed parking plots or garage should firstly meet the need of the owners. The ownership of the programmed parking plots or garage should be agreed on by the parties by means of selling, attached presentation or hiring. The parking plots or garage impropriating public roads or other fields belong to all the owners.

•      Maintenance funds of a residential development belong to the property owners; the collection and use of such funds shall be publicized to ensure transparency with regard to the property owners’ rights.

According to “Article No. 79” of the PRL, the funds used to maintain buildings and attached facilities belong to property owners in common. With the agreement of property owners, funds may be used to maintain shared facilities such as the elevators, water supplies and other common property. The collection and use of such funds shall be publicized and explained.

•      Owners have a right to replace the company managing their properties or other administrators, as desired.

According to “Article No. 81” of the PRL, property owners may manage their buildings and the attached facilities on their own or by entrusting a property manager or other administrators with management expertise. Property owners have the right, under the law, to replace a property management company or other administrators retained to provide specified services.

《物权法》保障购房者、业主的合法权益

北京市人民政府于2009年1月22日颁布了《关于贯彻中国国务院办公厅发布的（2008）131号文件精神促进北京市房地产市场健康发展的实施意见》（以下简称《意见》），除了鼓励住房消费、减免交易税费外，还特别明确了在2009年1月1日至12月31日期间，暂停执行《关于规范境外机构和境外个人购买商品房的通知》（《通知》）中对境外个人在京购房的年限和所购房屋的有关规定。而2007年2 月2日颁布的《通知》规定，在境内工作、学习时间超过一年的境外个人可以购买符合实际需要的自用、自住的商品房，不得购买非自用、非自住商品房，港澳台地区居民和华侨因生活需要，可在境内限购一定面积的自住商品房。

随着全球金融风暴影响范围的不断扩大，尽管目前房价的回落或许会出现抄底投资的良机，但在关注商机的同时，境内外购房者、业主也有必要对现行法律进行了解，特别是2007年10月1日开始实施的《中华人民共和国物权法》（以下简称《物权法》），以便行使和保护自己的权利。

一、确立不动产统一登记制度，保障购房者、业主权利。

《物权法》对既往的不动产登记制度做了较大的改动，因为不动产物权的设立、变更、转让和消灭，要经依法登记才发生效力，因此购房者应该充分重视登记制度，以免让自己的权利落空，遭受到不必要的损失。

（一）确立物权公示、公信制度。

在现实生活中，常常会发生因为没有完善登记手续，房屋被“一房二卖”等上当受骗的情况。因此，从交易安全出发，购房者应该尽可能的在第一时间办理好登记手续，以免权利落空。根据《物权法》第九条规定，不动产物权的设立、变更、转让和消灭，经依法登记，发生效力；未经登记，不发生效力，但法律另有规定的除外。

（二）统一不动产登记制度，减少购房者的手续。

根据《物权法》第十条规定，不动产登记，由不动产所在地的登记机构办理（对购房者而言，即在所购买房屋的所在地办理）。国家对不动产实行统一登记制度。

（三）登记费用按件收取，规范收费。

根据《物权法》第二十二条规定，不动产登记费按件收取，不得按照不动产的面积、体积或者价款的比例收取。

（四）登记错误，登记机构应当赔偿。

根据《物权法》第二十一条规定：当事人提供虚假材料申请登记，

给他人造成损害的，应当承担赔偿责任。因登记错误，给他人造成损害的，登记机构应当承担赔偿责任。登记机构赔偿后，可以向造成登记错误的人追偿。

二、明确了建筑区划内绿地、公共场所、公用设施和物业服务用房为业主共有。

根据《物权法》第七十三条规定：建筑区划内的道路，属于业主共有，但属于城镇公共道路的除外。建筑区划内的绿地，属于业主共有，但属于城镇公共绿地或者明示属于个人的除外。建筑区划内的其它公共场所、公用设施和物业服务用房，属于业主共有。

三、建筑区划内，汽车车位、车库应首先满足业主需要。

针对现实生活中的一些情况：有的开发商将车位、车库高价出售给小区外的人停放；不少小区没有车位、车库或者车位、车库严重不足，占用共有的道路或者其他场地作为车位等问题。根据《物权法》第七十四条规定，建筑区划内，规划用于停放汽车的车位、车库应当首先满足业主的需要。建筑区划内，规划用于停放汽车的车位、车库的归属，由当事人通过出售、附赠或者出租等方式约定。占用业主共有的道路或者其他场地用于停放汽车的车位，属于业主共有。

四、维修资金属于业主共有，维修资金的筹集、使用情况应当公布， 业主权利更加透明。

根据《物权法》第七十九条规定，建筑物及其附属设施的维修资金，属于业主共有。经业主共同决定，可以用于电梯、水箱等共有部分的维修。维修资金的筹集、使用情况应当公布。

《物权法》将物业维修的费用统一定名为维修资金，并归全体业主共有。维修资金的使用由业主共同决定，业主可以将维修资金用于全体业主共有设施的维修，如电梯、水箱、下水管道、煤气、消防设施、路灯等共用设施的维护与修理。

五、业主将有权更换物业服务企业或其他管理人。

根据《物权法》第八十一条规定，业主可以自行管理建筑物及其附属设施，也可以委托物业服务企业或者其他管理人管理。对建设单位聘请的物业服务企业或者其他管理人，业主有权依法更换。

Wang Fangmin, Lawyer

Professional fields: issuance and listing of securities; infrastructural development and real estate; intellectual property rights protection; enterprise legal affairs.

Wang Fangmin is a renowned lawyer in the field of lawsuits and non-suits. He has offered legal services to a number of major national enterprises, including the clearing of bad assets of the Beijing branch of the Bank of China and lawsuits involving a copyright dispute related to the film Devil 2, made by Hong Kong Xinghao Entertainment Company Limited. He has acted as legal consultant for many companies such as the Chinese General Automobile Sales Company, Chinese Silk and Clothes Import and Export Company and the Hong Kong Xinghao Entertainment Company, Limited.

Tel: +86 13601097828

E-mail: wangfangmin@sohu.com

王方民律师

专业领域：证券上市

                  建筑与房地产

                  知识产权保护

                  企业法律顾问事务

王方民律师精通诉讼与非诉讼法律

事务，先后为诸多大型企事业单位

进行诉讼代理，包括中国银行北京

分行不良资产清欠、香港星皓娱乐

有限公司拍摄的《魔鬼2》电影版

权纠纷等诉讼，先后担任中国汽车

工业销售总公司、中国丝绸服装进

出口公司、香港星皓电影发行有限

公司等多家法律顾问。

电话：+86 10 13601097828

邮箱：wangfangmin@sohu.com