A bizarre real estate dispute has concluded in China’s Shaanxi province, where a local resident successfully utilized the legal system to recover financial investments made into a residential property. The civil lawsuit was initiated after the buyer discovered that the apartment he had legally purchased on the 34th floor of a developing high-rise did not physically exist, as the construction firm ultimately erected a building containing only 32 floors.

According to a report published by the "South China Morning Post," the consumer transaction dates back to 2013, when a man identified by the surname Shen purchased a 90-square-meter apartment within a residential complex under development near the city of Xi'an. Under the signed purchase agreement, the residential unit was structurally designated to be located on the 34th floor. The buyer subsequently made an initial down payment of 117.7 thousand yuan, with the official building completion scheduled for 2015.

However, the structural execution suffered extensive logistical delays, and the real estate development enterprise did not declare the property ready for occupancy until 2017. When Shen arrived at the development site to inspect his property and collect the keys to his new residence, he discovered that the completed tower structurally capped out at 32 floors, meaning his contracted real estate unit was non-existent.

Initially, the construction company attempted to settle the discrepancy by adjusting the architectural allocation, offering the buyer an alternative apartment situated on the building's highest available 32nd floor. Nevertheless, within a few months, the developer rescinded this compromise as well. Following this breach of contract, Shen formally demanded the immediate cancellation of the purchase agreement and a full refund of his initial down payment.

The corporate entity refunded only a minor fraction of the total outstanding debt and subsequently ceased all communications, ignoring the buyer's official inquiries. Left with no alternative, the citizen filed a formal lawsuit with the district court. Upon reviewing the corporate breach, the judicial authority ruled in favor of the plaintiff, legally compelling the development firm to immediately return all remaining financial assets to the homebuyer.