Court Rules Man's 'Fake Marriage' for Housing Funds Legally Valid

A court in Henan refused to annul a marriage that was openly registered solely for seizing lucrative resettlement housing benefits, despite evidence the groom was in a long-term relationship with the bride's brother.

The ruling has sparked an intense online debate following the sudden death of 48-year-old Xu Tian in a traffic accident in Beijing on February 5, 2025.

Xu Tian had lived with his long-term male partner, Xue Chong, for more than ten years. However, court records and WeChat messages cited by The Paper confirm a scheme hatched in December 2024 to acquire housing subsidies associated with a village relocation program.

In late 2024, Xu's mother's village began a major relocation program in which each household member qualified for 50 square meters of resettlement housing at prices far below market value, plus sizable transition subsidies.

To secure an additional housing quota, Xu traveled to Jiaozuo, Henan, on December 12 and registered a marriage with Xue's sister, Xue Li, after transferring her 50,000 yuan (US$7,062) that morning.

Messages captured during the trip clearly documented the scheme: "This gets us an extra 50 square meters – then we'll quickly handle the divorce." There was no cohabitation, wedding, or public announcement of the marriage.

Xue Li's name later appeared on the official resettlement list. But on February 5, Xu died in a bicycle–car collision in Beijing, prompting his family to request her removal from the allocation roster.

His death set off wider disputes among Xu's relatives, Xue Li, and her brother over compensation, inheritance, and insurance claims. Xue Li sued Xu's mother for inheritance rights, while Xu's family argued the marriage was invalid from the start.

Both the Jiaozuo Jiefang District People's Court and the Jiaozuo Intermediate Court upheld the marriage, citing the Civil Code's definition of invalid unions, limited to bigamy, prohibited kinship, and underage marriage. The courts ruled that a marriage's motive does not affect its legal validity.

Xu's family argued the courts misapplied the law by ignoring broader Civil Code provisions on fictitious intent, collusion, and acts violating public order and good morals. Nevertheless, the appellate court reaffirmed the ruling on October 30.

Xu's mother's lawyer told The Paper on November 24 that the family is now preparing to petition the Henan Provincial High Court for a retrial, seeking a ruling that the marriage was invalid.