Is it legal to operate a shop within a shipping container ?

So we were offered to buy over a shipping container shop with a takeover fee, everything was well until we discovered that there weren’t any documents of purchase for the shipping container. Does anyone have experience with this matter ?

What, do containers have their own VIN, like autos?

Seems like they do…

The headache of having to track down the original owner to get legal ownership of a container

I think the biggest problem now is that the container is heavily modified to a shop, it had been paint over multiple times …:frowning:

What if original owner wants it back in original condition?
How much does a new container cost out the factory door?

You probably don’t need to buy a new one. Just one with genuine ownership documents.

Then maybe you need to talk to a lawyer about this. Presumably the container was stolen from the original owner?

Do you need the identification number if you’re not actually using it for shipping or storage purposes?

1 Like

Is that an issue? As long as you have documents proving it was sold to you, why do you need proof that it was sold to the previous owner?

Is there even necessarily such documentation for simple ownership of one? It’s not a vehicle.

The question isn’t whether or not it’s legal to open a shop in a container, but rather difficulty with the ownership of said container?

There’s a Starbucks in Hualien that is made from shipping containers.

Does that matter? As long as you can prove you bought it, why do you need proof that the previous owner bought it?

Only the OP can answer that. Maybe a previous owner had a container stolen and traced it to the business that the OP started. I’m sure it happens. It’s a bit like scrapped cars, they have VIN numbers while being used but if scrapped, the title is noted as such.

I have the letter of acquisition which states I have the rights and ownership to the equipments, furniture and anything above ground, they verbally told us that the shipping container shop is included but I didn’t see any legal documents that prove that

That’s covered under “anything above ground”, isn’t it? You could always ask them to amend the letter.

Yes but it still doesn’t prove that the container shop is sold to me as they don’t have the legal documents that they own it.

It means you don’t own the land, and so must pay rent for the land it sits on. If you own the land then you’d have a deed for that land. Again, your thread topic is misleading, I think you should edit it.

So basically you own the stuff in the shop but not the land. Was it clear at the time of purchase, or did it suddenly come up? Are you paying rent for the land? Are they paying rent for this?

You really need to be dealing with a real estate lawyer at this point. I’m assuming the money involved is enough to justify it.

We don’t own the land, but we own the container shop, anything above land but the previous tenants who sold us the container shop do not have the official documentation for the container shop.