Last August, 53-year-old Wang Xidan from Dehui City, Jilin Province, woke up to find his bank account balance at -5.99 million CNY. The day before, he had 12,000 CNY.
He didn't usually check his balance daily, as for a laborer like him, there wouldn't be any significant changes except on payday. But on 13/8/2024, a series of strange events led him to check his account. His card was declined for small purchases like lunch, train tickets, and other minor expenses.
Upon contacting the bank, he was informed that his card had been frozen due to a "ruling by the Hami Court, Xinjiang".
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Wang Xidan woke up one morning with a debt of nearly 6 million CNY (22 billion VND) due to a court error. Photo: Paper |
Wang Xidan woke up one morning with a debt of nearly 6 million CNY (22 billion VND) due to a court error. Photo: Paper
Wang stated that he had never been to Hami and was unaware of any legal proceedings there. He repeatedly contacted the Hami Court and local hotlines to report the situation, but the issue remained unresolved. He wanted to travel to Hami, but the 3,500 km journey was too expensive, especially since he couldn't use his bank card or electronic payments.
For 11 months, he described his life as "paralyzed." Any money deposited into his account, whether 10 CNY, 100 CNY, his salary, or gifts, was immediately deducted towards the -5.99 million CNY debt.
"I can't work now. My salary and migrant worker benefits are deposited into my card, but they're instantly frozen. Six million is terrifying. I'll never earn that much in my lifetime," he said, near tears.
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Wang, from Jilin, endured 11 months of hardship due to his frozen account. Photo: Paper |
Wang, from Jilin, endured 11 months of hardship due to his frozen account. Photo: Paper
The unexpected debt stemmed from a rare oversight. After learning about Wang's case, a lawyer offered to represent him pro bono. Following an investigation, the lawyer discovered that his client shared the same name as a defendant in a civil case in Hami, Xinjiang.
The verdict showed that the defendant Wang Xidan failed to appear in court after being summoned, didn't submit a written defense, and was ordered to pay nearly 6 million CNY in compensation.
The court ruled to freeze the defendant's bank account for 6 million CNY. However, due to a mix-up, the court froze the account of Wang in Jilin instead of the Wang in Xinjiang.
The actual defendant in Xinjiang expressed surprise when contacted by the media. He had received the electronic verdict but his account hadn't been frozen. He was unaware that someone with the same name, 3,500 km away, was shouldering his debt. "I checked my information in the verdict; my age and address were incorrect," the defendant explained. He appealed the initial ruling due to the inaccuracies.
On 15/7, the Hami Intermediate People's Court, Xinjiang, heard the appeal. Both Wang Xidans were summoned; the Xinjiang resident attended in person, while the Jilin resident appeared via video conference. The plaintiff confirmed that the Jilin resident was not the person he was suing. After questioning and deliberation, the court overturned the initial ruling. Wang's account in Jilin was to be unfrozen after the hearing.
On the evening of 16/7, Wang was relieved to find his account functioning normally. His lawyer stated that the next step is to file a compensation claim for the hardship Wang faced during the 11 months his account was wrongly frozen.
Hai Thu (Paper)
