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TheMoon
Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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 Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:29 pm Post subject: cancelling housing |
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Is it really that difficult?
My school provided me a one-room to stay at but I had already found a place for me to stay at. I want to cancel the one-room but the school is just telling me to keep it. Mostly because it is hard to find housing again once I leave the school.
I kept on telling them that I need to cancel it because I will never use it and I would rather get the housing allowance (to pay for other things)
Now they are telling me that because I'm breaking the contract, I need to pay 3 months rent, which is 2,100,000 (around $2100)
Is this the only way to go? |
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Carla
Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: cancelling housing |
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| TheMoon wrote: |
Is it really that difficult?
My school provided me a one-room to stay at but I had already found a place for me to stay at. I want to cancel the one-room but the school is just telling me to keep it. Mostly because it is hard to find housing again once I leave the school.
I kept on telling them that I need to cancel it because I will never use it and I would rather get the housing allowance (to pay for other things)
Now they are telling me that because I'm breaking the contract, I need to pay 3 months rent, which is 2,100,000 (around $2100)
Is this the only way to go? |
No, other people have cancelled and got the housing allowance, but if your contract doesn't say anything, it really is the schools choice. They might have signed a lease that they can't get out of without penalties.
I'm curious, why didn't you discuss this before you started your contract? You could have changed it then. Right now, what does your contract say?
Wish I could be helpful.
Wish I could be more helpful. |
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TheMoon
Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: Re: cancelling housing |
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| Carla wrote: |
| TheMoon wrote: |
Is it really that difficult?
My school provided me a one-room to stay at but I had already found a place for me to stay at. I want to cancel the one-room but the school is just telling me to keep it. Mostly because it is hard to find housing again once I leave the school.
I kept on telling them that I need to cancel it because I will never use it and I would rather get the housing allowance (to pay for other things)
Now they are telling me that because I'm breaking the contract, I need to pay 3 months rent, which is 2,100,000 (around $2100)
Is this the only way to go? |
No, other people have cancelled and got the housing allowance, but if your contract doesn't say anything, it really is the schools choice. They might have signed a lease that they can't get out of without penalties.
I'm curious, why didn't you discuss this before you started your contract? You could have changed it then. Right now, what does your contract say?
Wish I could be helpful.
Wish I could be more helpful. |
My contract says that the school will provide if I need housing and if I dont, I will be given the allowance.
This problem was the first problem that I told them when I met them. Since it was a Saturday, the teachers I met really couldn't do anything. We waited till Monday and things I guess got crazy. The school Admins hate me for me. They are all telling me that I should keep both house because it would be much easier to deal with. But I really don't want to do that when I have a really nice place that I'm already living at.
The school I guess did a year lease and it was made about a little over one week. I have seen the house but I haven't at all used it. I left it the same way as before. Never used any of the stuff.
And my school... They are not giving me full details because.. well... communication. |
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Carla
Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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Ahhhh, I got it. Everything got done in a hurry and you didn't have time to straighten it out. Gotcha. Hmmm, if I had to guess, the reason they are being so stubborn is that they plan on using the apartment after you leave for the next teacher, and don't want to have to store all the stuff somewhere until then.
Plus, I doubt they are paying rent for you. I bet they put down the jeonsae and don't want to be out of pocket by paying you housing allowance.
Not sure what I would do. Since the contract says a or b, it leaves it in the school's choice unless it said at the discretion of the employee.
Since you can't really do anything about it besides quit, and your schools seems adamant about it, if I was in your position, I would probably just keep it and use it for storage, guests, parties, etc, but that's me. You could raise a big stink about it, but then that could make your life very difficult.
Sorry. |
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TheMoon
Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice.
my co-teacher and my VP and I had a talk. They are trying to solve something out.
They are going to talk to the landlord today and hope that he is going to be fair with us. they will put the house back on the market (so I have to pay service fee) If the landlord is nice, and the house goes out, I only have to pay like one month rent. If the landlord is angry and mean about it, he has the right to keep the house for 3 month. And in that case, I have to pay the 3 month rent.
Also they mentioned that sometimes, they can cancel the house and get some of the rent back because they can count the days. But of course, they didn't want to go in detail about this. So they are just pushing and telling me that this month rent is gone and I have to pay that.,.
It really seems unfair but when in rome..... |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Carla wrote: |
Since you can't really do anything about it besides quit, and your schools seems adamant about it, if I was in your position, I would probably just keep it and use it for storage, guests, parties, etc, but that's me. You could raise a big stink about it, but then that could make your life very difficult.
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Really? I'd raise a big stink over basically having to pay rent on two places. It would be worth the difficulty. Worst case is they withhold the housing allowance for three months to pay the rent, but then he'd get it for the rest of the contract. Who needs two places? Ugh. |
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Carla
Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
| Carla wrote: |
Since you can't really do anything about it besides quit, and your schools seems adamant about it, if I was in your position, I would probably just keep it and use it for storage, guests, parties, etc, but that's me. You could raise a big stink about it, but then that could make your life very difficult.
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Really? I'd raise a big stink over basically having to pay rent on two places. It would be worth the difficulty. Worst case is they withhold the housing allowance for three months to pay the rent, but then he'd get it for the rest of the contract. Who needs two places? Ugh. |
But he's not paying rent on two places. The rent is not the same as the housing allowance, he will not be getting 700 in allowance, probably closer to 300. And he said that they would take the 2.1 mil from him, not "withhold" it. |
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TheMoon
Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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It is true. The rent fee is not the same with the housing allowance. I dont know how they are doing this but GOD!!
They did tell me that the house rent was 700 but they are giving me less for allowance. So if I have to pay the rent for 3 month, it would all be deducted from my paycheck... |
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DAC
Joined: 14 Aug 2009
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| TheMoon wrote: |
| they will put the house back on the market (so I have to pay service fee) If the landlord is nice, and the house goes out, I only have to pay like one month rent. If the landlord is angry and mean about it, he has the right to keep the house for 3 month. And in that case, I have to pay the 3 month rent. |
You should check with the Labor Office in your city. I don't think you have to pay any money for the school's lack of foresight (or flexibility). Anyways, check it out before you pay. That way you're not making it difficult for the next teacher in the same situation as you are in... |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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I don't see anything that says the school has to get a place before you arrive. What if you bailed at the last minute? I thought the normal procedure was to come to Korea first and then together get an apartment.
At least, that's what I did with one hagwon. It helps both sides out. |
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TheMoon
Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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I really wish my school had done this. But because there was a teacher before, they just expected the same from me. So they just made another year contact.
| lifeinkorea wrote: |
I don't see anything that says the school has to get a place before you arrive. What if you bailed at the last minute? I thought the normal procedure was to come to Korea first and then together get an apartment.
At least, that's what I did with one hagwon. It helps both sides out. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Carla wrote: |
| Draz wrote: |
| Carla wrote: |
Since you can't really do anything about it besides quit, and your schools seems adamant about it, if I was in your position, I would probably just keep it and use it for storage, guests, parties, etc, but that's me. You could raise a big stink about it, but then that could make your life very difficult.
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Really? I'd raise a big stink over basically having to pay rent on two places. It would be worth the difficulty. Worst case is they withhold the housing allowance for three months to pay the rent, but then he'd get it for the rest of the contract. Who needs two places? Ugh. |
But he's not paying rent on two places. The rent is not the same as the housing allowance, he will not be getting 700 in allowance, probably closer to 300. And he said that they would take the 2.1 mil from him, not "withhold" it. |
How else are they going to take it from him? They will take it out of his pay cheque. aka "withhold it".
He is paying rent on his own apartment now and not getting the housing benefit in the contract, so it is like he is paying rent twice.
SMOE housing allowance is 500k, is it not? Still less than 700k, but I'd rather pay 2.1 million now and get 6.0 million (or even 4.8 million if they've lowered it) back over the year, than have access to an extra apartment that I don't need.
Of course, the school should be responsible for the rent and fees, but if he can't fight his way out of that, it is better to take the hit now and get at least some compensation. |
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iggyb
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
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| Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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Before I start, I'll say this is just me - not advice based on a contract or anything else, this is just me imagining myself in this situation:
I wouldn't press the school beyond keeping from having to pay for the new place out of my pay. If they wanted to refuse the monthly settlement, I'd likely just accept it. If I couldn't, I'd take the housing they offer.
I never pushed places because they were putting out a major expense to house me. Yes, it is standard in the Korean industry, so I wasn't overly impressed, but I wasn't going to push them much on it.
Also I'd add in the fact that they are usually counting on these places long term to house generations of teachers who rotate in and out.
If they had a place for me and I didn't want it but they were locked into it, unless it was an absolute rat hole, I'd probably eat the cost of setting myself up or "endure" the place they gave me.
Again, that's just me......if others see it differently and handle it differently, pushing for the exact wording of the contract is fine... |
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Carla
Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:15 am Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
| Carla wrote: |
| Draz wrote: |
| Carla wrote: |
Since you can't really do anything about it besides quit, and your schools seems adamant about it, if I was in your position, I would probably just keep it and use it for storage, guests, parties, etc, but that's me. You could raise a big stink about it, but then that could make your life very difficult.
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Really? I'd raise a big stink over basically having to pay rent on two places. It would be worth the difficulty. Worst case is they withhold the housing allowance for three months to pay the rent, but then he'd get it for the rest of the contract. Who needs two places? Ugh. |
But he's not paying rent on two places. The rent is not the same as the housing allowance, he will not be getting 700 in allowance, probably closer to 300. And he said that they would take the 2.1 mil from him, not "withhold" it. |
How else are they going to take it from him? They will take it out of his pay cheque. aka "withhold it".
He is paying rent on his own apartment now and not getting the housing benefit in the contract, so it is like he is paying rent twice.
SMOE housing allowance is 500k, is it not? Still less than 700k, but I'd rather pay 2.1 million now and get 6.0 million (or even 4.8 million if they've lowered it) back over the year, than have access to an extra apartment that I don't need.
Of course, the school should be responsible for the rent and fees, but if he can't fight his way out of that, it is better to take the hit now and get at least some compensation. |
When I say withhold it, I'm not talking about paying the penalties of the lease. I'm talking about the allowance. There's a difference between not getting an extra 300 a month and actually losing 700 out of his paycheck a month.
Fine, let's say he's paying two rents, the school is still providing housing, which is all they are required to do. It's not their fault that he already has a house.
Is he with SMOE? It didn't say, but perhaps you remember from another post? Anyway, I've seen allowances range from 300-500. What I was saying is assuming he didn't/couldn't be out that amount of money right now. If he has it in savings or lives within his means, of course I would pay the money.  |
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broken76
Joined: 27 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:06 am Post subject: |
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The way leasing laws work would be, yes they can get out of a lease but they have to pay the realty fees as well as rent until a new tenant comes in. The school is then stuck with a bunch of furniture that they bought that they won't need which sucks for them as well. So they'll need to get rid of it and then rebuy everthing again when a new teacher comes the following year which again sucks for them.
Hopefully both you and the school can work something out. |
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