Korean Job Discussion Forums

fence sitter · Joined: 17 Aug 2006

Last January (2008) our landlord decided to steal 2.5 million from us when we moved out. His excuse was that we had put holes in the wall and had dinged up the floor. For the record, we had hung up a few pics and yes, a fork or two had fallen on the kitchen floor.

So, on the day we have to transfer our key money from one jerk to another, we're scrambling to find 2.5 mil.

This landlord probably assumed (a) that I was a foreigner and wouldn't have the balls or know-how to pursue this case and/or (b) that my Korean wife was too young to have the balls or know how to pursue this case. Whatever. He was wrong.

We took his ass to court. The People's Court! Yes, they have small claims court in Korea, too (but regrettably, no Judge Judy). We took our case there. We did not have to hire a lawyer.

Finally, after 9 months our court date is set. At the first trial the defendant was a no-show. In Korea, that's OK! You don't have to show up to court! No fine. Whatever. What a joke. The judge commented that the action of our jerk landlord (withholding our key money) was "unprecedented," which I have a hard time believing. Then he rescheduled another court date for a month later.

At the next hearing the jerk landlord doesn't show up again! No penalty for that, mind you! The judge rules in our favor by default. WIN!! Except...

Fast forward another month. The jerk still refuses to pay us even though he lost the case, so we have to go to his house and put stickers on items in his house that will be sold in an auction so we can get our money. Some government types will help us do this! How embarrassing for this guy and his family! Anyway, we show up at his place and he's not there, so we have to reschedule for the next month....see a pattern here?

Well, it's NEXT MONTH now, and D-Day is tomorrow! Here's the beautiful part: If he's not there, we get to call a locksmith to break his lock (which the government makes us pay for out of our own pockets, mind you). Then we put stickers on all his shit. If that fails to bring in the 2.5 mil he owes, his car goes up for auction, then his apartment!!!

This is INSANE!! How NUTSO is this character?! The GOVERNMENT OF KOREA already said to him "YOU LOST, BITCH," but he refuses to give up!

Anyway, tomorrow will be interesting....I wonder what the stickers look like. Hopefully they're those awesome Mr. Yuck stickers we used to put on bottles of Windex and shit.

esetters21 · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul

That's an awesome story. Can you take pictures when you "sticker it to the man"?

SOOHWA101 · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:56 am Post subject:

Man, I only wish you had someone to video tape the whole thing. I can only imagine the fiasco that will ensue once you pop that lock, see that he's sitting there drinking soju and has chained himself to the couch.

Good luck on this though.....and please, keep us updated.

inkoreaforgood · Joined: 15 Dec 2003 Location: Inchon

Rusty Shackleford · Joined: 08 May 2008

Wow. Good luck with your adventure. I really hope it works out for you. Please take photos.

Paddycakes · Joined: 05 May 2003 Location: Seoul

Korean guy comes home to find a whole slew of stickers on his wife's underwear...

NoExplode · Joined: 15 Oct 2008

Please. Video! Please!

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

I'd pay to see this take place!!! Very Happy

roknroll · Joined: 29 Dec 2007

Having someone video this is a great idea, not just for the voyeurs Surprised

1. In case there is a physical confrontation of sorts, limit your liability.

2. Keep it to show the next jackass. Hopefully there won't be another in your future,, but if there is you can start out by showing him that ominous souvenir you've acquired, aka the broken lock.

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

Great story. Good luck to you. What an asshole this ajoshi is.

suadente · Joined: 27 Sep 2004

How are they going to sell it? Auction? This could be a chance for us in the ESL/EFL community to get a nice TV or microwave for cheap, and rub it in the landlord's face a little more.

I've been jerked around several times by landlords. Actually, every landlord that I've had has tried to get something out of me. Most/many of us hate and distrust certain hogwan owners, but if you haven't been screwed over by a Korean landlord, you have nothing to complain about.

My first apartment was school sponsored. Every apartment after that was chosen and paid for by me. My school sponsored apartment held back 500,000 won for my last few weeks of utility costs, and then never sent me the change. One wanted to charge me $100 at the end of my contract because I'm a foreigner, so that makes me dirty. It took me two days to clean the place when I first moved in... One wanted to raise the rent by 50%, I said no, she said, ok, we'll keep it the same, please stay. I said no. One gave me half of my key money when I moved out, and the other half a few months later (total of 10 million), just for the hell of it. And my current landlord, well, the guy is nice, beautiful white hair, speaks some English. He's retired, but he still dresses in suits. But his wife, I don't understand why he hasn't committed suicide. When we moved in, she was so rude to my wife, and trying to change the terms of the contract, my wife burst into tears. Real sobbing. I actually pushed the old lady out, locked the door, and told the guy that we were going to move. My wife calmed down, they talked things out. I can only imagine what the old ajjuma has in store for us when our contract ends. (I've got 30 million in this place.)

A friend spent two or three years living in a one room with his new wife because the landlord wouldn't give back his 60 million and kept milking the court system.

The government guarantees key money deposits up to 10 million, but you have to register with the Gu office, and many landlords don't like it and refuse to do it because then it shows up as a lien on the property.

Ironically, my family is in real estate, and I worked in the industry for a while as well back home. They own houses, condos, apartment buildings, and office buildings in dozens of cities, including Seoul.

cmr · Joined: 22 Mar 2006

Are you and your wife the ones to choose what will go up for auction? If so, then have fun!!!

If I were you, I'd try to find stuff that would cost the guy a lot to buy again, or stuff that maybe foreigners might want... saying that, where and when will the stuff be auctioned. Wink

VanIslander · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:50 am Post subject:

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

I would love to video something like this. Holy crap!!!!! After all the dumb ass adjossis that have messed with me and made my life difficult here I would love to video you breaking the lock and starting the repo process on his things. Very Happy

It would be better if he were there so he could be taunted and mocked. WOW!!! I am truly jealous of you. Enjoy and if you need my services let me know! Soak up every minute of screwing this guy over...repo stuff that will hurt him.

fence sitter · Joined: 17 Aug 2006

I should've started video taping from the get-go. The court was pretty cool, actually. One judge. One guy doing something or other. One stenographer. And another guy doing something or other. Two tables in front of the judge where the plaintiff and defendant sit. One extra chair each for lawyer/character witness.

I was able to watch several disputes take place. Mostly he-said/she-said husband and ex-wife kind of stuff. Lots of old folks screaming at each other. The judge seemed cordial enough. We had given him pics of the alleged damage and he admitted that it didn't seem significant (the damage).

I'll bring the camera tomorrow fo' sho'. Don't expect much of a show, though. My wife tells me we're not supposed to open drawers, etc., so I can't put a bunch of diamond rings on a sticker like a roach trap (I had totally wanted to do that!) I have a feeling this jerk owns a 19" LG from like 1999. If we find anything of value at all I'll be flabbergasted.

As for the auction, the wife tells me that this jerk's wife gets first dibs at the stuff! Can you believe it?! It's not really an auction in the traditional sense. I'm not sure who can bid, exactly. I was wondering if we could, actually, if any of the stuff was decent (I've been wanting a flat screen for ages).

I'm assuming the two government-types (big dudes with serious suits, believe it or not) will be with us again to verify everything, and keep things under control if this guy or his wife is there to prevent me from putting stickers on their undergarments and kimchi refrigerator.