The parents of a 30-year-old woman who committed suicide in her rented apartment must pay the landlord NT$2.86 million (US$95,219) in compensatory damages, the Tainan District Court has ruled.
The plaintiff, surnamed Hsieh (謝), said that as an adult, the deceased, surnamed Yang (楊) should have known that committing suicide in a rented home would turn the property into a haunted house, making it difficult to lease or sell.
Hsieh accused Yang of committing suicide in the apartment on purpose, so she should bear responsibility for compensating her for her losses, but since Yang was dead, she could only seek compensation from the woman’s parents.
Hsieh said she had NT$238,715 in losses from the early termination of contracts, as well as NT$2.3 million in depreciated real-estate value.
Yang’s parents said that their daughter’s suicide had not been a “purposeful action,” and that it taking place in a rental unit was an “oversight,” so Hsieh had no cause to demand compensation.
Hsieh’s rental units on the rooftop of a building are illegal constructions and would have no value once they were demolished, so she would not suffer a real-estate loss in the wake of their daughter’s suicide, the parents said.
However, the court ruled that as Yang was an adult and should have been conscious that her actions would make the rental unit a haunted house, there was cause to consider that Yang’s actions had indirect intent.
Whether Hsieh’s rental units were illegal constructions did not affect the question of Yang’s suicide causing a depreciation their real estate value, the judges said.
As Yang’s parents are her legal successors and they had not waived their right of succession, they should shoulder the responsibility of compensating Hsieh, the judges said.
Hsieh’s claims for compensation were based on estimates made by professional realtors, and so they decided the defendants should pay her NT$2.86 million.
The ruling, which was issued on Jan. 7, can be appealed.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS