Korean Job Discussion Forums

Peacerocks · Joined: 09 Sep 2009

A few weeks ago I posted about a problem I was having with my ex-landlord. Whereby even though she had taken a sofa from our house earlier in the contract she was demanding there be one there when we left. Our nice expensive cream one. Anyway she got her way and I took the sofa back to her house 5 days later. I bought a new sofa she ended up with two. Her old one and my one.
We then settled our outstanding bills and paid 8man won for two broken door handles to be repaired despite me arguing this was wear and tare and at most we should pay 50%.

Anyway, now she is demanding 5 days full rent for the time the sofa was outside of the house. She says she could not show anyone the house for those 5 days and some how that works out at full rent. It was a big modern two bedroom, 5 days full rent is 15man won. My hagwon want me to pay. They didn't negotiate about the door handles. Their next step is to get me to go and apolagise to the woman. I can do this, behind gritted teeth, but there isn't even a guarantee that she will drop this crazy rent demand.

What can I do? Can I get any support on this? Is it worth getting a Korean friend, not colleague, to try and talk to her?

Cerulean · Joined: 19 Aug 2009

If you are sure you have honored the contract and this issue is not a contractual one, then I think she's taking you for a ride.

For me, it would be enough. Ask a Korean friend how to approach her and get some culture prep for the situation. And ask someone older. (I recently had to say no at my school for something not school related and a Korean teacher at another school prepared me how to do it.)

How about your hogwan? What does your boss say?

If this doesn't work, tell her it's not your problem. Tell her there's nothing in the contract. Tell her whatever, but be done with her. You've tried.

I've seen apartments without furniture when I was looking to rent. I also saw apartments with furniture and clothes strewn all over.

She's taking you for a ride.

Good luck!

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

It's a hagwon provided house, right? Awesome. Your key money isn't being held. Tell her to ModEdit.

* Cute spellings of inappropriate language in order to avoid the swear-filter is still a violation of the TOS.

conrad2 · Joined: 05 Nov 2009

You totally caved in on the sofa, so she figures you are a sucker and or chump, so she is pushing it as far as she can. You should never have given in on the sofa.

Troglodyte · Joined: 06 Dec 2009

If you don't pay for the 5 days, what will happen?

Are you leaving Korea? I suspect that you aren't. So if your school deducts it from your pay, then go to the labor board and say that you weren't paid in full.

Don't pay the landlord. The worst that can happen is that the hogwan deducts it from your pay. But then at least you can fight it. If you just pay her, the money is gone. You can't even try to get it back.

Died By Bear · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 1:59 pm Post subject:

furtakk · Joined: 02 Jun 2009

ignore her.
not your problem.
ignore your old school.
not your problem.

you caved on the couch AND door handles (which you shouldn't have) so she knows you're weak.

again.
not your problem.

hapigokelli · Joined: 04 Aug 2009

You gave her your couch?!?!?!

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

Peacerocks · Joined: 09 Sep 2009

I can't ignore it, I still work for the same hagwon. Plus, I need the key money which she is refusing to release for my new house.

Wear and tare is when something just breaks over the duration of a contract, it is not purposefully done so. Like a table leg on an old table, therefore the landlord not the tenant should pay. Anyway, we paid for the door handles. My hagwon insisted this was a good idea to try and placate her.

I had to give her the couch contractually, because the contract stated their had to be a couch in the apartment when we moved out and we didn't get the contract amended when she took her couch out in the first few weeks of the contract.

Anyway, she's still demanding that 15man won. I'm off to the Seoul global center behind city hall today. Mybe they can get someone to talk to her.

nathanrutledge · Joined: 01 May 2008 Location: Marakesh

AsiaESLbound · Joined: 07 Jan 2010 Location: Truck Stop Missouri

Underwaterbob · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito

I had to deal with all kinds of insanity when I last moved too. A lot of landlords will, If you're hanging around town, try and bilk you for everything you've got if you let them. I left my last apartment in better shape than when I arrived (which was not good at the time) and they still tried to get me to pay to re-mactac the floors. I told them my responsibility to the place was over and that I would not pay, was not angry but very final with them. They relented.

Seriously, the place was a dump when I arrived, and they told me to spend my first day (back) in Korea cleaning, after 36 straight hours of travel. Then they try and get over 300'000 won in cleaning/repair fees out of me when I leave, yeah right!

Also, the local school board demanded that I replace the broken TV that I paid 5000 won to have thrown away (no way was I leaving the decent TV I bought to replace it while living there.) They fed me some line about it being a national asset since it technically belongs to the government. I went to the junkyard and picked up another broken TV for 10'000 won that someone else will have to pay 5000 won to throw away again. I suppose in the end the government will have made 10'000 won in disposal fees. Maybe that was the whole point.

nomad-ish · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:05 pm Post subject:

southernman · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Location: On the mainland again

Dam how much is the key money... she's taking you for a ride, theres no doubt about that.

Yup, it's time to get an older Korean involved, they will sort out this resonably quickly. Lawyers cost money

I had a landlady ripping me off here, when I realised, I told my bosses wife, she (my bosses wife) put the money into my account that afternoon.
She sorted out the landlady and got repaid by her.