Tanghe, Henan: Court Received the Case, Government Ruled the Case

• Author: Zhao Chongshun

Wang Fulan had a property dispute over five aspens with her neighbor, Changlin Zhao. In August 1989, Wang brought a lawsuit against Zhao and requested the Guotan tribunal of the Tanghe County Court to determine property ownership of the aspens. (At that time, the allotted time to conclude the civil case was six months.) However, on September 29, 1990, Guotan town government of Tanghe County assembled officials from the court tribunal, police station, the town government, and other departments to participate in a "Comprehensive Management Group," and this case was included in the group’s jurisdiction. Without putting the case to trial, the group cut down two trees and gave them...