Shanghai, April 1 (IANS) A court in China has helped settle a dispute over ownership of assets shared by two lovers who have broken off. They shared their relation on the premise that the woman would support her beau and he would accompany her all day when she stayed in Shanghai.
Fu Zhouyu, who is a Chinese national, in 2005 became boyfriend of wealthy Chinese-American Yang Chung-Chih, elder to him by 20 years.
Yang spent 580,000 yuan ($88,607.76) on a BMW and bought an apartment with a down payment of 560,000 yuan($85,552.32). Both the car and the apartment were registered in Fu’s name, Shanghai Daily reported.
The apartment was registered in Fu’s name because foreigners are only allowed to buy one apartment in the city, Shanghai’s Putuo District People’s Court heard.
When Yang came to Shanghai during the World Expo last year, Fu asked to break off because another woman was willing to pay him five million yuan for his companionship.
Fu told Yang their relationship could continue if she agreed to pay him five million yuan ($763,860).
Yang sued to get back both the car and the apartment.
Fu, however, claimed that the car was a gift from Yang and that they co-owned the apartment. Although Yang made the down payment, he had paid to decorate and furnish the flat, the court heard.
After hearing the case, the court ruled the BMW car belonged to Fu because he used it the most. Yang agreed to accept 220,000 yuan ($33,609.84) as reimbursement for car purchase payments.
The apartment registered in Fu’s name was ruled as Yang’s although she was told to pay 370,000 yuan ($56,525.64) in compensation for decoration costs.
