A man was left in disbelief after discovering that the former owner of his house had been secretly living in the basement for seven years.

The man, identified only as Li, purchased a secondary home in the city center in 2018 for nearly 2 million yuan (RM1.2 million). For years, he remained unaware of an entire section of the house hidden from sight.

Li's shocking discovery came when he stumbled upon a concealed door behind the staircase. The hidden passage led to a basement he had never known existed. To his surprise, the basement was not an ordinary storage space it was a well-equipped living area, complete with ventilation, lighting, and even a small bar.

Further inspection revealed clear signs that someone had been occupying the space. This unsettling revelation prompted Li to contact the homes previous owner, a woman named Zhang. Confronting her about the hidden basement, he accused her of deliberately concealing its existence during the sale process.

Zhang, however, defended her actions, claiming that the basement was not included in the property sale and remained her private space. Despite her insistence, Li refused to accept her claim, arguing that the entire property, including the basement, belonged to him as he had paid the full price for the home.

Determined to assert his ownership rights, Li took the matter to court. After a legal battle, the court ruled in his favor, officially confirming his ownership of the basement. In addition, Zhang was ordered to pay financial compensation for her actions.

Source: Sinar Harian