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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011 Location: Geumchon
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:03 pm Post subject: Contract ended early, employer wants me to keep paying rent |
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My previous employer was an adult hagwon which means that the rent was subsidized but not fully paid by the employer. I signed the contract before returning to Korea and when I returned they had a Key Money Addendum waiting for me that I had to sign before moving into my apartment. If I would've known about the Addendum before coming to Korea I would have never signed the original contract.
Anyway, the Addendum says that in the event an employee leaves before the contract is up (which they always do because of the working conditions), then the employee is responsible for paying rent on the apartment for the rest of the lease or until the land lord finds a new tenant.
The apartment is in the company's name, not mine. It's their apartment.
So what I'm wondering is if the Key Money Addendum is legally binding considering that I moved onto a different employer and my visa was transferred.
They trapped me into signing it as I signed it after I arrived and had no choice because I didn't have the funds to purchase my own apartment up front when I arrived.
They have no motivation or incentive to find a tenant which means I could be paying rent on the apartment for the rest of the lease.
Thanks for any advice. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| My previous employer was an adult hagwon which means that the rent was subsidized but not fully paid by the employer. |
I don't see how this makes any difference. If you got a normal E2 visa, then the usual thing is for the employer (public school, hagwon for kids, hagwon for adults, anywhere) to provide you a place to stay. Other than that, it is between them and the landlord, you are out of the picture.
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| I signed the contract before returning to Korea and when I returned they had a Key Money Addendum waiting for me that I had to sign before moving into my apartment. If I would've known about the Addendum before coming to Korea I would have never signed the original contract. |
Never sign this type of thing. Of course they didn't tell you until you came.
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| They trapped me into signing it as I signed it after I arrived and had no choice because I didn't have the funds to purchase my own apartment up front when I arrived. |
You had the choice not to sign it. You had to choice to fight this with them at the time. Now, you have waited. I don't know the legal ramifications.
Last edited by lifeinkorea on Fri May 06, 2011 12:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Triban

Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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| LOL.......................no |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| That is ridiculous. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011 Location: Geumchon
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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They're taking a month's rent off my last paycheque and they want me to transfer money to them every month.
I won't but if there would be legal ramifications (ie: they lawyer up and sue me) then I guess I kind of have to...
The hagwon is a the biggest chain in Korea which makes me worry. If It was just a mom and pop hagwon I wouldn't even be posting about it here. |
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RMNC

Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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Bahahahahaha
No.
Stop talking to them, and tell them nothing. Vanish. Are you getting/did you get a new job in Korea? Do they know where you live or work?
It really doesn't matter, honestly, they're going to get a new teacher anyways. Why should you pay the new teacher's rent? They can't do anything to you, don't worry.
Also, just so everyone else knows, this is why you print out the contract before you're offered before you come over and you sign THAT one and nothing else. |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 1:01 am Post subject: |
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| Change your phone number. Let them whistle in the wind. Did they pay taxes/pension/health insurance? If not, contact the relevant gov dept. |
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jrwhite82

Joined: 22 May 2010
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 2:01 am Post subject: |
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Here's the problem though for the OP.
If you put YOUR money down for the key money, you will not get it back until a new tenant moves in and puts their key money down. And they will just deduct each months rent from it.
However, if you didn't put your money down...the worst they can do is take your last months pay.
You're kind of SOL if you want that money back because you'll have to go to the labor board to get it most likely and then they have this thing you signed that agrees to pay for rent until a new tenant moves in....
Last edited by jrwhite82 on Fri May 06, 2011 2:05 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jrwhite82

Joined: 22 May 2010
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 2:03 am Post subject: |
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| RMNC wrote: |
Bahahahahaha
No.
Stop talking to them, and tell them nothing. Vanish. Are you getting/did you get a new job in Korea? Do they know where you live or work?
It really doesn't matter, honestly, they're going to get a new teacher anyways. Why should you pay the new teacher's rent? They can't do anything to you, don't worry.
Also, just so everyone else knows, this is why you print out the contract before you're offered before you come over and you sign THAT one and nothing else. |
This is good advice. What you do is make sure to sign EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF IT. That way they can't just staple an extra page and say it was part of the packet you agreed to. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011 Location: Geumchon
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 2:19 am Post subject: |
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| jrwhite82 wrote: |
Here's the problem though for the OP.
If you put YOUR money down for the key money, you will not get it back until a new tenant moves in and puts their key money down. And they will just deduct each months rent from it.
However, if you didn't put your money down...the worst they can do is take your last months pay.
You're kind of SOL if you want that money back because you'll have to go to the labor board to get it most likely and then they have this thing you signed that agrees to pay for rent until a new tenant moves in.... |
The only reason I signed the addendum was because I couldn't afford a place (it's their key money and not mine). If I hadn't signed it I would have been homeless for my first month  |
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RMNC

Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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