Lease owners squeezing Mickey
- Source: Global Times
- [03:42 July 01 2010]
- Comments
A factory owner in Shanghai, Shen Guocheng, clears rubble from his woolen factory Wednesday. The place was damaged by demolition workers making room for a Disneyland in the city. Photo: Cai Xianmin
By Shen Weihuang and Chen Xiaoru in Shanghai
Several factory owners in Shanghai are complaining that Mickey Mouse and his backers are trying to throw them out onto the streets to make way for the Shanghai Disneyland.
Construction of the park is set to begin shortly.
Some owners have refused to move out until they get cash settlements from their landlords.
Some landlords have terminated the leases, while some leases expired before work started at the site.
Wang Yan and Pan Shengmei, who each owns a woolen factory, are standing firm. Wang's lease expired in March and Pan's lease will expire in October.
Although Pan's landlord agreed to pay her 50,000 yuan ($7,463) at the end of this month, she does not want to risk moving out without the cash in her hand.
"The problem is that my landlord said she doesn't have the money to pay us now, and the relocation company said we have to move immediately," said Pan. "But I can't leave until we get paid, or I may never see any of that money."
Shen Guocheng, who also runs a woolen factory in Zhaohang village in the Pudong New Area, said his site was partially damaged by workers Wednesday morning.
Shen signed a lease in June 2009 and although it expired in early June, he has demanded compensation from the landlord but they have not reached a deal.
