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We all love an underdog, don't we? Someone who won't be bullied, who will stand up for themselves and their rights in the face of all-powerful corporations and governments, they give us all hope that we little guys do have the power after all.
Often referred to as 'nail houses' or 'holdouts,' such as these have become high profile media sensations, particularly in China where the brave homeowners receive widespread support against the perceived bullying of the powers that be. Anyone who has seen the movie 'Up,' or Australian classic 'The Castle' will identify with this! These holdout cases most often happen when the government needs land for highway building or decides to do resident relocation of the whole village if the land that it sits on serves a purpose for mining or other heavy industries. Since selling property isn't something that can be forced, some people stand their ground, refusing to take the ridiculously small buy out cash.
Scroll down to see the astonishing examples below, and don't forget to vote for your favorite!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Edith Macefield Refused To Sell Her Home Even After Being Offered More Than 1 Million Dollars For It. She Later Became The Inspiration For The Movie "Up"
RELATED:
#2
Mary Cook Had Refused To Sell Her Narrow, Handsome Home While All The Neighboring Homes Were Demolished. Today The House Sits Tightly Squeezed Between Its Giant Neighbors, Looking Much Like An Illustration From A Children’s Story Book
Jeremie Guerra 8 years ago
And the curve of the central building makes belive that he's compressed ^^
Kwihui Halliday 8 years ago
Good for her. Stuck by her home and most likely a ton of family, generations, memories.👍
Renee King 8 years ago
Wow....she didn't have enough room on either side to plant a flower or two.....
Claire Kellerman 8 years ago
Colonialism, invaders, abusers: they all work the same...be bigger, louder or totally covert, but bring all the harm, destruction and bullying you can. This is what it looks like. Nicely done! She won. She stood for Nature, her beautiful Home, and I am grateful for her example.
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Abhisek Chakraborty 8 years ago
Much like how I felt traveling in the local transport as a kid
Priscilla Winslow 8 years ago
Most townhouses have NO windows on the sides... unless you have an "end unit." You've never seen a townhouse... or even an apartment that might have windows on ONE side?
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Brenda Fultz Day 8 years ago
No!!!! IT'S HER HOME FULL OF ALL HER MEMORIES, and ALL OF HER LIFE STORIES OF HER FAMILY!!!!
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Fran Lloyd-Allen 4 years ago
The top two windows look like eyes looking sideways and the railing is smiling
Renee C Radclyffe 8 years ago
I recall a time when an offer would be made to buy the property, and if the owner refused, the developers would get the property condemned , and than pay less than half of the original offer!!!!!!
Claire Kellerman 8 years ago
THAT is so precious! I love it, and applaud her courage, as we all can learn how to stand up. STAND!!! Mutual support and UNITY from the roots, from the grass roots is our only hope!!! Please STAND. If you feel called, and ask someone who can if you are afraid or confused. We are Here. You are not alone, anymore! Love, Claire
Rainbow Unicorn 8 years ago
Am I the only one who actually wants to live there? It looks really adorable!
Friedlander Rosenzweig 8 years ago
This is at No. 249 West End Avenue...Upper West Side of New York. It apparently was an art gallery for some years and it possibly is now converted to apartments (per The “Daytonian in Manhattan” blog).
#3
My Elderly Mother Doesn't Want To Move, She Is Now Surrounded By New Townhouses In All Directions
#4
Vera Coking First Refused To Sell Her House To Bob Guccione, Who Wanted To Build His Casino Around It. Later She Refused To Sell To Donald Trump
#5
An Owner That Refused To Sell His House In Melbourne, Australia
Aniket Trivedi 8 years ago
Its very saddening that a lot of beautiful neighborhoods are being distroyed to make enormous claustrophobic buildings.
#6
One Resident Of A Toronto Duplex Refused To Sell, So They Cut It In Half
Luke Wright 8 years ago
This is on St. Patrick Street in downtown Toronto. Its not "new" exactly, back in 1950 they split this house, the apartment complex now stands on what would have been the other half of the duplex.
#7
This Slender Gothic-Inspired Townhouse, Flanked By Massive Prewar Apartment Buildings Up And Down The Block
#8
China’s Government Paved A Highway Around These Stubborn Homeowners. The Residents Eventually Moved Out But The House Had Become A Symbol Of Resistance Against Developers
#9
Randal Acker Refused To Sell His Small Queen Anne Victorian Home In Downtown Portland, So They Built A Huge Portland State University Residence Hall Around It
#10
In Guangzhou, The Authorities Have Had To Build A Ring Road Around This Block Of Flats Because Three Families Would Not Budge
Lana Zhao 8 years ago
These are termed in China as "nail houses", as in stubbon nails. Quite often the people in nail houses are not compensated or undercompensated for the loss of their homes and have nowhere else to go. Be stubbon or lose house, so therefore lose job and starve on the streets.
#11
The House Of Austin Spriggs, Washington D.c. The Owner Was Offered $3 Million, Said No, And Later Sold It For $4 Million
#12
Although His Is The Only Standing Building In What Used To Be An Old Neighborhood Of Roubaix, In Northern France, Salah Oudjani Refuses To Sell The Coffee House He Has Worked In For The Last 46 Years
Judy Semmens 8 years ago
I think that picture is from 2011. It's still there but a road runs past and there's a sports complex opposite. I hope that brings Monsieur Oudjani plenty of trade! If you want to take a look on something like Google Maps, the address is 126 Rue de Tourcoing.
#13
Now A Church, This Queen Anne House Prevented Yet Another Apartment Building From Being Constructed
#14
A Lone Resident Holds Out Against Luxury Villas In Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, In July 2013
#15
Developers Were Forced Into Building Around These Holdouts In Washington DC
#16
Living Under A Bridge
#17
The Founders Of This Hotel Couldn't Buy These Houses Due To The High Asking Price. So The Hotel Was Built Around The Two Buildings Instead, And They Are Now Souvenir Shops
#18
One Chinese Family Refused To Move Their Relatives Ancient Graves. The Small, Bizarre Column Stood 10 Meters Above The Foundation Floor For Months, Until They Finally Accepted Compensation
Emily Rose 8 years ago
sad that these new 'better' buildings are taking precedence over the ancient graves of our ancestors.
#19
Farmers Live Stuck In Between Three Highways. Hundreds Of Households Were Relocated But The Government Wasn't Able To Reach A Consensus With This Family
#20
Mrs Wu Ping Was The Only Person From 241 Properties Who Refused To Leave. She Battled With Contractors And Bids For Almost 3 Years Before Caving In April Of 2007 For Quite A Pretty Penny
#21
This Saloon Refused To Sell Their Property To An Apartment Company And Now The Apartment Has To Build Around Them
Melanie Ramos 8 years ago
No, they absolutely shouldn't sell! Especially with all those new potential customers moving in all around them!
#22
This "Nail House" Is Blocking Traffic In Shanghai
Taryn Wallace 8 years ago
Why is "Nail House" in quotes like that???? Am I️ missing something like super obvious?? To be fair I️ spilled coffee all over me this morning and stepped in dog poo so it hasn't really been my day
#23
The Spiegelhalter Family Refused To Sell Their Shop To The Expanding Wickhams Department Store
#24
The Entire Rockefeller Plaza Complex Was Moved, Due To These Two Buildings Whose Owners Refused To Sell
#25
The Tenant Of This Apartment Building In Kunming, China, Has To Cross A Moat After The Contractors Dug A Ditch To Force The Last Family Out.
#26
A Nail House Sits In The Middle Of A Road Under Construction In Nanning, China, In April 2015. The Owner Of The House Didn’t Reach An Agreement With The Local Authority About Compensation For The Demolition
#27
Residents Of The Guangfuli Area Of Shanghai Have Collectively Decided Not To Leave Their Homes, Creating An Entire "Nail Neighborhood." Tao Weiren Sits In Front Of His Two-Story House, Which Is Now Surrounded By High-End Condominium Buildings
#28
Zheng Meiju Outside Her Nail House In Rui’an, Zhejiang Province, In July 2013. She Has Been Living In The Partially Demolished Home For Nearly A Year, Even Though The Water And Electricity Supply Were Cut
#29
The Farm In The Middle Of Narita Airport. Farmers Are Refusing To Give Up Their Land In The Middle Of This Airport In Japan. The Runway Is Only Half Usable Because Of Their Refusal To Relocate. They Are Currently A Literal Stones Throw Away From The Flight Path And Must Be Living An Earth Shaking Experience.
#30
Hard-Line Developers In China Diverted A River To Encircle Householders Who Refused To Move From Their 900-Year-Old Village
#31
The 'Million Dollar Corner' That Macy's Had To Build Around, And Then Hide Behind A Billboard
DancingToMyself 8 years ago
"A Million Dollar Hotel", anyone? With Milla Jovovich, by Wim Wenders movie...
#32
The Last House In This Area Stands In Front Of A Shopping Mall In Central China's Hunan Province
#33
The Last House Of An Old Neighborhood Stands Alone In A Future Shanghai World Expo 2010 Parking Lot, Under Nanpu Bridge On April 6, 2010, In Shanghai, China. The Holdout Owner Of The House Was Shi Yuji. The House Was Destroyed Days Later, And The Owner Moved Into A Workers' Dormitory
#34
This "Nail House" House Sits On A Mound Above Ground Level Because The Developer Dug Out The Land Around It
#35
Nail Houses Whose Owners Refused To Relocate, At The Construction Field In Taiyuan, Shanxi Province Of China
Margaret Harper 8 years ago
A lot of these cities look really grubby and dirty. Like nobody is trying to upkeep them.
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What do you think ?
Alusair Alustriel 8 years ago
On one hand I agree with house owners in fight against the expanding developers. On the other hand, I'd take those few millions offered and built a house in a green space instead of being closed on three sides by scyscrapers. Or being in a middle of a road. I get that some cases involved families with nowwhere to go, but others, just stubbornly refusing I can't understand. I'd rather have peace and confort instead of constant roadtraffic noise/other people staring at me from windows.
Sergio Bicerra 8 years ago
Sometime ago there was an airport to be built. Some neighbours refused to move, despite a good compensation. Three month after the airport was open they had to move, and couldn't sell their houses, cause nobody wants to live next to an airport.
Load More Replies...
Angie Hamilton 8 years ago
I like this, but I'm wondering how they manage this when they construct around the house, so noisy and disturbing, especially when I saw those house squeezed just in between tose new big tall buildings
Hans 8 years ago
I wonder how this is legally possible. Municipalities have plans in how building may be placed, and normally there are also laws. Simply building wall-to-wall is not normally possible, and shading can be a very delicate subject,
Load More Replies...
A. Najime 8 years ago
In some countries, the government forces people to sell whatever their property is at the lowest possible price.
Daniel Losinger 8 years ago
If the homeowners knowingly refused to move, then why would consequences be unexpected?
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Hey EveBenson, does that EVER work? I mean really? Like does any idiot EVER go to your stupid a*s website after reading your stupid spam and say, "wow, I read what you wrote and golly, I'd love to make that much money! Tell me more swami!" F**k off idiot.
Load More Replies... dacy 8 years ago
One thing i noticed, when these things happened in China, the developers did horrible things to the nail houses, ie build moats, destroy the walls on sides, cut water and electricity.. but when it happened in another country like US, the nail houses look protected.. and new buildings were designed to accomodate those nail houses.. says alot about China..
Sarah Mohd 8 years ago
I'm amazed how goverments and coumtries respect there people.... in mine , if they need the land you are kicked out without any consltation..
RaroaRaroa 8 years ago
China is clearly a place where people are offered very little when expected to give up their homes - otherwise why would they end up with so many nail houses? They're probably also expected to relocate to some out-of-the-way apartment block slum far from their employment and everything else they know.
Rob Williams 8 years ago
There's a pub in Birkenhead, England that wouldn't sell up to the developers... 72919_9207...a2c4bc.jpg 
David Michael 7 years ago
How do you not mention the original classic film 🎥 ‘BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED’
guna sekaran 7 years ago
In India, the government passed a law to acquire the land from the owner at a price offered only by the government. There is no negotiation, the owner should leave the place with that money only. Worst Government
Emma Giles 8 years ago
So they don't have compulsory purchase orders like in the uk? I think I'd sell if the price was was right and rebuild somewhere new
Nia Loves Art 8 years ago
It seems like a lot of these pictures are from China. I feel bad for people that would be so poorly compensated were they to leave that they have to stay in an unpleasant or unsafe location so that they will at least have a roof over their heads.
ER Rajesh Yadav 8 years ago
For some person own built asset is more precious than money. But capitalistic market do not care about it.
Ирина Чумак 8 years ago
Interesting to see how private property is respected in good countries! In our country (Ukraine) all these houses would catch fire, very quickly and unexpectedly and police would state that it was an accident. Also, some very bad things could happen to their owners and nobody would be punished for that.
Estifanos Shiferaw 8 years ago
I think in a world where land for housing becomes more scarce and population rises in a fast rate apartments and larger infrastructure are necessary. So its being selfish to block the development of these projects. I mean we all are going to get our six feet plot in the end.
Pamela Powers 8 years ago
I used to stay in a little - maybe 14 unit - on the west side of Waikiki in Hawaiii. The last time we were in Oahu, the Trump Tower had been built in the interim, and this little complex was still there while all the other hotels around it were sold to build the Trump Tower. I'm surprised it isn't included here!
Thierry Abels 8 years ago
There is one in Amsterdam integrated in the Victoria hotel, there is even a movie about it called 'publieke werken'
Allana Rose 8 years ago
I think it's sad when the home owners are not given proper compensation for their houses and land, but then you really can't stop progress in some of these cases. A lot of these houses look like they are falling down anyways, so you might as well collect the money and move. The ones that arnt given money for their homes should be criminal!
Hayley Goring 8 years ago
You missed the house in the middle of the motorway (M62) in Yorkshire, England
.gas. 8 years ago
The thing is, the homeowner always wins in the end. The government idea is that they'll make it so miserable that the people will want to leave (build a road around it), but they still have to pay for it. When you build infrastructure, it increases the value of the home! These "stubborn" homeowners are crazy like foxes!
Victor Vakaras 8 years ago
What a bunch of stubborn morons. They're going to build around you regardless. Take the piles of cash and live easy the rest of your lives instead of being stressed out until you die due to all the noise and other s**t. Just stupid.
Linda Gulley 8 years ago
In China, I'm surprised the government doesn't just kill the homeowners.
Alusair Alustriel 8 years ago
On one hand I agree with house owners in fight against the expanding developers. On the other hand, I'd take those few millions offered and built a house in a green space instead of being closed on three sides by scyscrapers. Or being in a middle of a road. I get that some cases involved families with nowwhere to go, but others, just stubbornly refusing I can't understand. I'd rather have peace and confort instead of constant roadtraffic noise/other people staring at me from windows.
Sergio Bicerra 8 years ago
Sometime ago there was an airport to be built. Some neighbours refused to move, despite a good compensation. Three month after the airport was open they had to move, and couldn't sell their houses, cause nobody wants to live next to an airport.
Load More Replies... Angie Hamilton 8 years ago
I like this, but I'm wondering how they manage this when they construct around the house, so noisy and disturbing, especially when I saw those house squeezed just in between tose new big tall buildings
Hans 8 years ago
I wonder how this is legally possible. Municipalities have plans in how building may be placed, and normally there are also laws. Simply building wall-to-wall is not normally possible, and shading can be a very delicate subject,
Load More Replies... A. Najime 8 years ago
In some countries, the government forces people to sell whatever their property is at the lowest possible price.
Daniel Losinger 8 years ago
If the homeowners knowingly refused to move, then why would consequences be unexpected?
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Hey EveBenson, does that EVER work? I mean really? Like does any idiot EVER go to your stupid a*s website after reading your stupid spam and say, "wow, I read what you wrote and golly, I'd love to make that much money! Tell me more swami!" F**k off idiot.
Load More Replies... dacy 8 years ago
One thing i noticed, when these things happened in China, the developers did horrible things to the nail houses, ie build moats, destroy the walls on sides, cut water and electricity.. but when it happened in another country like US, the nail houses look protected.. and new buildings were designed to accomodate those nail houses.. says alot about China..
Sarah Mohd 8 years ago
I'm amazed how goverments and coumtries respect there people.... in mine , if they need the land you are kicked out without any consltation..
RaroaRaroa 8 years ago
China is clearly a place where people are offered very little when expected to give up their homes - otherwise why would they end up with so many nail houses? They're probably also expected to relocate to some out-of-the-way apartment block slum far from their employment and everything else they know.
Rob Williams 8 years ago
There's a pub in Birkenhead, England that wouldn't sell up to the developers... 72919_9207...a2c4bc.jpg
David Michael 7 years ago
How do you not mention the original classic film 🎥 ‘BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED’
guna sekaran 7 years ago
In India, the government passed a law to acquire the land from the owner at a price offered only by the government. There is no negotiation, the owner should leave the place with that money only. Worst Government
Emma Giles 8 years ago
So they don't have compulsory purchase orders like in the uk? I think I'd sell if the price was was right and rebuild somewhere new
Nia Loves Art 8 years ago
It seems like a lot of these pictures are from China. I feel bad for people that would be so poorly compensated were they to leave that they have to stay in an unpleasant or unsafe location so that they will at least have a roof over their heads.
ER Rajesh Yadav 8 years ago
For some person own built asset is more precious than money. But capitalistic market do not care about it.
Ирина Чумак 8 years ago
Interesting to see how private property is respected in good countries! In our country (Ukraine) all these houses would catch fire, very quickly and unexpectedly and police would state that it was an accident. Also, some very bad things could happen to their owners and nobody would be punished for that.
Estifanos Shiferaw 8 years ago
I think in a world where land for housing becomes more scarce and population rises in a fast rate apartments and larger infrastructure are necessary. So its being selfish to block the development of these projects. I mean we all are going to get our six feet plot in the end.
Pamela Powers 8 years ago
I used to stay in a little - maybe 14 unit - on the west side of Waikiki in Hawaiii. The last time we were in Oahu, the Trump Tower had been built in the interim, and this little complex was still there while all the other hotels around it were sold to build the Trump Tower. I'm surprised it isn't included here!
Thierry Abels 8 years ago
There is one in Amsterdam integrated in the Victoria hotel, there is even a movie about it called 'publieke werken'
Allana Rose 8 years ago
I think it's sad when the home owners are not given proper compensation for their houses and land, but then you really can't stop progress in some of these cases. A lot of these houses look like they are falling down anyways, so you might as well collect the money and move. The ones that arnt given money for their homes should be criminal!
Hayley Goring 8 years ago
You missed the house in the middle of the motorway (M62) in Yorkshire, England
.gas. 8 years ago
The thing is, the homeowner always wins in the end. The government idea is that they'll make it so miserable that the people will want to leave (build a road around it), but they still have to pay for it. When you build infrastructure, it increases the value of the home! These "stubborn" homeowners are crazy like foxes!
Victor Vakaras 8 years ago
What a bunch of stubborn morons. They're going to build around you regardless. Take the piles of cash and live easy the rest of your lives instead of being stressed out until you die due to all the noise and other s**t. Just stupid.
Linda Gulley 8 years ago
In China, I'm surprised the government doesn't just kill the homeowners.
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