Planted Chili Peppers and Perilla Leaves in Apartment Shared Garden, Then "Do Not Touch"

Conflict Arises Among Residents Over Apartment Shared Flowerbed
"Thought It Was for Exercise, But It Became a Dense Vegetable Garden"
Not Allowed Without Consent... Enforcement Is Difficult

A story about residents experiencing inconvenience due to someone cultivating a private garden in the apartment's communal flower bed has attracted attention. On the 22nd, an online community post titled "Someone is using the apartment flower bed as a private garden, please share your opinions" was uploaded. According to the author, Mr. A, a resident had quietly turned a place that was always used for exercise within the apartment complex into a private garden.

A photo shared by Mr. A showing a neighbor using the apartment's communal flower bed as a private vegetable garden. [Image source=Nate Pann capture]

Mr. A said, "There were various types like chili peppers, cherry tomatoes, and perilla leaves," and added, "It seems a complaint was filed to the management office about a month ago, but they didn’t remove it and the garden is still being maintained." He continued, "It’s behind the above-ground parking lot, and the person is secretly using that space alone, not letting others touch it." He asked, "Is there any way to deal with this?" and shared photos of the garden. The photos showed various plants growing lushly, and the actual area is said to be even larger.

Netizens who read the story mostly sympathized with Mr. A’s complaints, commenting things like, "If chili peppers or cherry tomatoes grow, just pick and eat them," "Since it’s a communal space, you can say the harvest is communal too," and "Just keep filing complaints with the management office." However, some expressed opinions such as, "Is using an unused space as a garden really harming others?" and "Wouldn’t it be more efficient for anyone to use it?"

Earlier in June, a similar controversy arose in an apartment complex in Incheon where a resident grew crops in communal flower beds and alleys. Other residents complained about the smell of compost and the presence of insects from the summer garden, leading to conflicts among neighbors.

According to the Act on Ownership and Management of Collective Buildings, rooftops and corridors of multi-family housing such as apartments or villas are communal areas, and one household cannot arbitrarily cultivate a garden without the consent of the co-owners (residents). However, there are no specific measures to enforce this, so once cultivation begins, it is practically impossible to stop. That said, there was a precedent in May 2021 where a resident who used a communal flower bed on the rooftop of an apartment commercial building for personal use lost a lawsuit and was ordered to pay damages for property damage.