A trial in which residents of a condominium in Sendai City, which was recognized as "large-scale half-destroyed" by the Great East Japan Earthquake and received a living reconstruction support fund, were later reviewed as "partially damaged" and asked to return the support fund. So, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling ordering the residents to return it, saying that "fairness is not ensured and it is unavoidable."
After the earthquake, more than 50 residents of an apartment in Taihaku-ku, Sendai City were certified by the ward as "large-scale half-destroyed" and received a maximum of 1.5 million yen in living reconstruction assistance. It was reviewed as "partially damaged" and requested to be returned by the public interest foundation that provided the support money.
In the second trial, the decision was divided into a decision ordered by the residents to return and a decision not to return, and both sides appealed.
Regarding this, Hiroyuki Kanno, the judge of the Second Small Court of the Supreme Court, said, "If the error in the recognition of payment is left as it is, fairness will not be ensured among the victims and the public's trust in the system will be damaged. It is unavoidable to be asked to return it, "he ordered the residents to return the support money.