# Ni, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times’, 2019 > [!cite] > Ni Dandan, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times To Scam Government’, *Sixth Tone*, 24 September 2019, https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1004597. > [!abstract] > With 11 members now accused of fraud, the family claims ignorance of any wrongdoing. --- ‘Eleven members of a family in eastern China’s Zhejiang province went through 23 sham marriages and divorces in less than a month in an attempt to take advantage of an urban renewal project’s compensation scheme for residents, local media outlet Zhejiang News reported Tuesday.’ [[Ni, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times To Scam Government’, 2019|(Ni 2019, n.p.)]] ^5427a9 ‘However, Liu Chen, the police officer leading the investigation, said the family’s actions are without a doubt illegal. “Faking marriages and divorces to transfer *hukou* and illegally acquire more relocation compensation constitutes the crime of fraud,” Zhejiang News quoted Liu as saying.’ [[Ni, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times To Scam Government’, 2019|(Ni 2019, n.p.)]] ^783277 ‘According to Tan Kai, chief marriage lawyer at Beijing Yingke Law Firm, just because a person is following one law doesn’t mean they’re not breaking another. “The family used a legal avenue to achieve an illegal end,” Tan told Sixth Tone. “The marriage law doesn’t forbid marriages and divorces — but in this case, the family used marriages and divorces as a means of committing fraud. While they didn’t violate the marriage law, they acted against the criminal law.”’ [[Ni, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times To Scam Government’, 2019|(Ni 2019, n.p.)]] ^7e8eb3 ‘To cool down the real estate market, many cities across the country have limited each household to a maximum of two apartments. Other notable policies allow potential homebuyers who don’t already own property to make much lower down payments — in Shanghai, 35% for the first property as opposed to 70% for the second — as well as enjoy lower tax and mortgage rates.’ [[Ni, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times To Scam Government’, 2019|(Ni 2019, n.p.)]] ^76b6f7 Due to fake divorces (for property-purchasing purposes), ‘In 2017, the Beijing government and China’s central bank cooperated to [raise the bar](http://www.xinhuanet.com//2017-03/24/c_1120687297.htm) for mortgage applications, preventing people who have been divorced for less than a year from enjoying preferential homebuying policies. [[Ni, ‘Zhejiang Family Marries, Divorces 23 Times To Scam Government’, 2019|(Ni 2019, n.p.)]]’ ^b14f37