Case Type: Lawsuit for Damages Regarding Real Estate Fraud 

Result: Complete Victory for the Plaintiff (Default Judgment) 

Case Details:

Case Background and Deceptive Practices of the Developer

The client entered into a pre-sale contract and paid 100 million KRW after watching a YouTube promotional video claiming that purchasing a newly built multi-family villa in a Seoul redevelopment area would guarantee membership status and apartment distribution rights. However, the day after the contract was signed, the developer registered a provisional injunction for a third party and subsequently transferred the land ownership, and the individual who signed the contract was an unauthorized agent rather than an executive of the company. To make matters worse, the land was excluded from the proposed redevelopment zone, making it impossible to acquire membership, and the developer cut off all communication and fled after executing an organized fraud scheme.

Lawsuit Filed by Suhn Law and Win via Default Judgment

Attorney Woo-joong Kim of Suhn Law Firm meticulously analyzed the pre-sale agreement, land and corporate registries, official documents from the district office, and text messenger logs to prove the defendants' organized deception. Based on this evidence, a lawsuit was filed with a primary claim for damages arising from tort and an alternative claim for restitution due to contract rescission. The defendants failed to submit an answer within 30 days of receiving the complaint, and pursuant to the Civil Procedure Act, the court rendered a default judgment entirely in favor of the plaintiff, confirming the client's legal right to recover the full principal amount along with delayed interest.

Recommendations for Practical Debt Collection Post-Judgment

Obtaining a favorable civil judgment is merely the starting point for securing a title of execution for compulsory enforcement, and the written judgment itself does not immediately guarantee the recovery of funds. Perpetrators of pre-sale fraud typically hide assets or distribute them under third-party names in advance; therefore, subsequent enforcement proceedings such as asset disclosure, property inquiry, and fraudulent transfer cancellation lawsuits must be systematically pursued to achieve actual recovery. Consequently, when entering into real estate contracts, utmost care must be taken to prevent damage beforehand—such as directly verifying registries at every payment stage and confirming membership requirements through official government municipal channels—rather than relying solely on post-facto litigation.

Case Inquiry: Attorney Woo-joong Kim