A 90-year-old father sued his daughter over four co-owned properties worth over S$11 million after she refused him permission to sell the properties.
In the end, the elderly man won the lawsuit and the right to sell the properties.
However, the lawsuit has reportedly torn the “close-knit” family apart.
Lim Kim Toon, 90, is the co-founder of Evan Lim Industrial/Warehousing Development.
Due to his illiteracy and inability to speak English, Mr Lim appointed her 54-year-old daughter, Lim Hwee Hoon, as his personal assistant and a director of the warehousing company.
She was the only child among Mr Lim’s six children who worked alongside him at the company, reports Channel NewsAsia.
Acknowledging his old age, Mr Lim agreed to Ms Lim’s suggestion and entrusted her with obtaining and arranging the mortgages.
Mr Lim and Ms Lim bought many properties in their joint names over the past 22 years, including the four disputed properties worth S$11.6 million.
According to CNA, the dispute arose when Mr Lim decided to sell the four properties.
Source: Homeonline. for illustration purposes only.
Ms Lim reportedly disputed her father’s decision. She claimed that the properties were bought in their joint names and that Mr Lim had intended to give them to her as joint tenant.
Consequently, Mr Lim sued Ms Lim, claiming he didn’t realise Ms Lim had inserted her name in the documents.
CNA reports that Mr Lim had paid for the purchase prices of all four properties, with two secured through joint mortgages and the other two fully paid through a UOB joint account.
The evidence showed that Mr Lim was the only one who made payments for the properties.
The judge, Justice Choo, also pointed out that Mr Lim was the only one who controlled the money in the joint account and decided how the funds were to be used.
Additionally, Justice Choo noted Mr Lim’s history of purchasing properties for his children under their sole name.
The judge pointed out that this exposed a “flaw” in Ms Lim’s argument — Mr Lim would have given the properties to Ms Lim in her sole name if he had intended to give them to her as joint tenant.
Justice Choo also mentioned a will made by Mr Lim and his wife back in 2005.
In the will, two of the disputed properties were included in a list of assets meant for distribution, revealing that Mr Lim had always considered them his own.
After reviewing the evidence, the judge eventually ruled in favour of Mr Lim.
Also read: Siblings Sue Elder Brother Over 2 Properties Worth $3.1 Million, Battle Now In Court
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Featured image adapted from Homeonline.
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