Huatai Briefing: Attorney Chen Yongran from Beijing Huatai (Hangzhou) Law Firm Featured in a Special Report on CCTV's "Today's Legal Talk" Program

   On the scales of justice, fairness may be delayed, but it never fails to arrive. Recently, CCTV’s program "Today's Legal Talk" aired a series titled "The House That Couldn’t Be Recovered," which chronicles how Mr. Yang and his wife, Ms. Fei, managed—thanks to the assistance of lawyer Chen Yongran and the support from public security, prosecution, and judicial authorities—to finally recover most of the losses suffered by the victims through legal channels.

In 2014, an apparently ordinary loan transaction triggered a series of fraudulent activities. Mr. Fei, urgently in need of money, was introduced to Mr. Hong by a broker—little did he know it was a carefully orchestrated trap. Enticed by the seemingly favorable offer of a low-price housing purchase contract worth 650,000 yuan, Mr. Fei was persuaded to lend out 400,000 yuan, marking only the beginning of this tragic ordeal.

Subsequently, Hong and his accomplices fraudulently carried out the transfer procedures under false pretenses, forging the real estate ownership certificate in a bid to deceitfully seize the property of Mr. and Mrs. Yang. To make matters worse, the court’s initial ruling left the couple on the brink of losing their home. Yet, the beacon of justice never dimmed. Through Attorney Chen Yongran’s dedicated efforts, coupled with the meticulous investigation by the Public Security Bureau, the prosecution’s decisive appeal, and the court’s subsequent retrial, a robust legal safety net was meticulously woven to protect their rights and restore their rightful ownership.

In 2019, the retrial verdict delivered by the Hangzhou Intermediate Court brought hope to Mr. and Mrs. Yang—its key reasoning closely aligned with the legal opinion provided by attorney Chen Yongran. The criminal gang led by Hong had been perpetrating "loan-trap schemes," disguising their illegal activities as legitimate private lending in order to seize the victims' properties. Ultimately, Hong was convicted of fraud and ordered to return more than 800,000 yuan in illicit gains. Meanwhile, the house purchase contract between Hong and the Yangs was declared invalid, effectively recovering most of the couple's financial losses.

This is not only a legal victory but also a safeguard for the peace and happiness of every family. Through this case, *Today's Legal Talk* reminds us to remain vigilant when dealing with significant property transactions, to protect our rights according to the law, and to ensure that the law remains our strongest ally.