The Winning Bid: 7 Months On, Still No Land Handover Due to Community Resistance

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai (born 1979, residing in Nghi Phong commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province) reported that he participated in a land auction and won, but nearly 7 months have passed, and the Nghi Phong People’s Committee has not handed over the auctioned land.

According to VTC News’ investigation, on December 26, 2022, the People’s Committee of Nghi Loc district issued a decision to retrieve land for an auction in villages 1 and 2 of Nghi Phong commune.

On October 7, 2023, the People’s Committee of Nghi Loc district organized an auction for four land lots in villages 1 and 2 of Nghi Phong commune. The auction winners were Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai (born 1979), with a lot size of 299 square meters and a bid of 2.1 billion VND, and three others: Mr. Nguyen The Hung, Mrs. Bui Thi Huyen, and Mr. Pham The Tai. Subsequently, all four winners paid the required amounts and fees.

On December 7, 2023, the People’s Committee of Nghi Loc district issued Decision No. 4696/QD-UBND, approving the auction results for the aforementioned land lots. On December 22, 2023, the People’s Committee of Nghi Phong commune issued Notification No. 184, requesting households with crops and assets on the auctioned land lots to harvest their produce and remove their assets to clear the land for the auction winners.

However, seven months have passed since Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai was declared the auction winner, but the People’s Committee of Nghi Phong commune has not handed over the 299-square-meter land lot (land plot number 157, map number 7 of Nghi Phong commune) because the site has not been cleared of obstacles.

In response to VTC News, Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh, Chairman of Nghi Phong commune People’s Committee, acknowledged that the land lot won by Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai has not been handed over due to the incomplete clearance of obstacles on the site.

“The auctioned land lot used to be agricultural land owned by Mr. Dang Thai Thong. Mr. Thong then sold (authorized transfer) it to Mrs. Pham Thi T. (residing in Nghi Phong commune). Before the auction, the People’s Committee of Nghi Loc district issued a decision to retrieve the land for auction in accordance with regulations. However, after Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thai won the auction for the aforementioned land lot, Mrs. Pham Thi T. refused to submit the land use right certificate (Certificate of Agricultural Land) to the commune and district for procedures to hand over the site to the auction winner. Therefore, the commune has not been able to resolve the issue,” shared the Chairman of Nghi Phong commune People’s Committee.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh, Chairman of Nghi Phong commune People’s Committee, added that he has only been in office for a few months, while the auction dossiers and procedures for the aforementioned land lots were handled by the previous chairman. The former chairman has since resigned to work for a private company, and the former commune land official has also transferred to another commune.