Property Disputes in Shanghai

Property litigation in Shanghai usually turns on documents rather than argument: what the contract actually says, who signed it, when payment was made, and what the registration record shows. We take cases at the point where the paper trail still matters.

What we handle

• Sale and purchase disputes — refusal to complete, failure to transfer title, double-selling, deposit and penalty clauses, and claims to rescind.
• Title confirmation — disputes over who owns a property where registration, payment and actual possession point in different directions, including property bought in another person's name.
• Second-hand residential transactions — agency misconduct, undisclosed mortgages or leases, and completion failures caused by purchase restrictions.
• Lease disputes — rent arrears, early termination, deposit retention, and disputes over commercial premises.

Preservation of assets before judgment

Where there is a risk that the other side will dispose of the property or the money before judgment, an application to preserve the assets can be made at the start of proceedings. This is often decisive in Shanghai, where a sale can complete quickly. It requires evidence of the claim and, usually, security. The court also charges a preservation fee on the value frozen, capped at CNY 5,000 — our China court fee calculator works out that and the case acceptance fee.

Working from abroad

A client living outside China can litigate in Shanghai without attending. The power of attorney must be notarised and authenticated — apostille for Contracting Parties to the Hague Convention, consular legalisation otherwise — and then filed with the court. Hearings can be conducted through the court's online platform in many cases; where they cannot, we appear on the client's behalf.