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Notorious Shanghai "nail house" finally demolished after 14 years blocking traffic

The nail house in Shanghai - REX/Shutterstock
The nail house in Shanghai - REX/Shutterstock

A notorious “nail house” on a busy Chinese road has finally been demolished, putting an end to a 14-year dispute.

The obstinate property owners in Shanghai had for years refused to allow their home to be demolished to make way for a road-widening scheme.

Shanghai nail house - Credit: Imaginechina / REX / Shutterstock
The Shanghai nail house has been torn down Credit: Imaginechina / REX / Shutterstock

Instead, four lanes of traffic had to squeeze into two in order to bypass the inconveniently located property.

“Nail houses” refer to when stubborn homeowners refuse to move to make way for larger construction projects.

nail house - Credit:  Imaginechina /REX / Shutterstock
The owner refused to move out due to disputes over compensation details for 14 years Credit: Imaginechina /REX / Shutterstock

When the homeowners refuse monetary compensation, developers must come up with imaginative ways to build around the homes.

It took around 90 minutes to demolish the “nail house” during the middle of the night, according to local media reports.

nail house china  - Credit: AP
Another "nail house" in China's Zhejiang province Credit: AP

The owners finally allowed their home to be pulled down after agreeing a revised compensation deal with the local authorities.

They reportedly received four flats and 2.7 million yuan (£300,000) in compensation.

china weirdest tourist attractions
china weirdest tourist attractions