Zi Char Stallholder Claimed Landlord Tossed His Stuff at the Walkway Due to a Rental Dispute

By
Lee En
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Sparks (the bad kind) fly between a tenant and a landlord as the tenant gets “thrown out” due to an alleged rent dispute.

Within a day (and no prior notice), the kitchen equipment, utensils and tables were cleared and left outside on the walkway of the coffee shop. Whoever said that women were dramatic clearly never met these two men before.

According to Shin Min Daily News, The incident took place on the 15 February 2023 at a coffeeshop along Woodlands Street 13.

Here’s what happened.

Woodlands Zi Char Stallholder Claimed Landlord Tossed His Stuff at the Walkway Due to Rental Dispute

The owner of Mari Mari Zi Char, Chen, 53,  stated that he has been running his stall for nearly four years. Relationship with the landlord was fairly good, and business was picking up. 

The lease was due only in March 2024. 

However, conflicts started to arise last month when the owner of the coffee shop called him, requesting him to move the four refrigerators outside his stall. Chen claimed he moved them within a week.

On 6 February, however, Chen received a letter from a lawyer representing the coffee shop, warning him to remove the items outside his stall or risk termination of his lease. Thinking that he already fulfilled the request, he paid it no mind. 

The coffee shop management went back again (like that psycho ex everyone has) after six days to tell Chen to move the table outside his stall. After discussions, Chen established that the table was in fact not his, but still told management that he would clear it within five days.

However, Chen was accused of violating his lease agreement two days later and he found his lease terminated. 

How to Kick Out Your Tenant 101

Much to the dismay of Chen, the stall was cleared out and the things like kitchen tools and tables were left outside the stall within a day. Not even an auntie who smelled a 50% clearance sale from a mile away could afford to be this fast. 

The coffee shop spokesperson stated that the walkway near Chen’s stall had become more and more cluttered and even though he received multiple warnings, Chen did not comply with the requests but instead, brought up more problems. 

With the advice of a lawyer, the coffee shop owner decided to stop the lease agreement with Chen and also provided him a time period for him to clear away his things in the shop. The spokesperson also added that they sent Chen a lawyer’s letter before moving his things and that everything was according to protocol. 

The table that was outside Chen’s stall, according to the spokesperson, was frequently in use by Chen and that the table had even the logo of Chen’s stall.

The coffee shop has told Chen multiple times that personal items are not allowed to be placed in the walkways near the shop as this does not comply with the regulations and that it blocks the path for customers to walk, making it dangerous for everyone all around. 

Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk (& Spoilt Food)

However, the actions of the management resulted in Chen’s ingredients, that were originally in the fridge, going bad as they were kept outside in the sweltering heat. 

Even more concerning was the fact that Chen found out that $800 was found missing from the cash register. He then lodged a police report.

Chen added that he used to have a good relationship with the coffee shop management, but he was very disappointed about how everything has turned out. 

Though this may seem like your typical petty tenant/landlord dispute, another reason behind the conflict might be because of a disagreement over rent. 

Was It All Due to a Disagreement Over Rental?

According to Chen, he had met the coffee shop manager a day before his items were dumped outside his stall, adding that the manager requested new terms to his lease agreement.

Since the monthly rent was going to be increased by a whopping $1,500, Chen shared that they couldn’t reach an agreement and that he would move out in seven days. 

Like your indecisive girlfriend picking out a place to eat, the manager changed his mind the next day and requested Chen to remove all his items within the same day. 

Chen was notified that his stall was cleared out while the coffee shop’s legal team as well as Chen’s personal lawyer was working things out. 

Later on, the coffee shop legal team stated that the Chen’s previous rent was the market rate during the pandemic and the new lease has to be adjusted based on the current rate. 

The police are in the process of investigating the incident.

So, is this entire saga due to a table, some fridges or…rental?

Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:

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Lee En
Email: [email protected]