Eight siblings have settled a $20 million tussle over their late parents’ estate without going through a High Court trial, reported The Straits Times.
The dispute focused on two semi-detached homes in Richards Avenue off Upper Serangoon Road – one of which was in the name of the eldest child Tan Nga Kok, while the other was in the name of Tan Thian Kok, the third child.
The other six siblings claimed that the two houses were part of the family’s eight properties; hence, should be included in the list of assets to be equally divided among them following their father Tan Tuan Hock’s death in 2011.
However, the two said they were the sole beneficiaries of the properties.
As a result, the six siblings took their two brothers to court, alleging that the two homes were merely being held in trust for them.
A trial was originally set to start on Tuesday, but the parties arrived at an agreement, the terms of which are confidential.
The late Mr Tan and his wife, Madam Soh Whee Hong, were teachers who migrated from China to Singapore in the 1940s.
In 1965, the couple acquired a row of four houses in Richards Avenue, with two being registered in the name of a relative and the other two in Madam Soh’s mother’s name.
One was transferred from the relative to Tan Nga Kok in 1968, while the other was transferred to Tan Thian Kok from Madam Soh’s mother.
The two properties were rented out until the two brothers moved into the homes in the 1980s. The other two houses were sold.
Tan Nga Kok alleged that his parents intended to give him the property, but it was not immediately transferred to him as he had yet to reach the age of 21.
Tan Thian Kok, on the other hand, claimed that the house was purchased by their grandmother, who later gave it to him.
The plaintiffs contended that the homes were owned by their father, who did not intend for the two to be the sole beneficiaries.
They based their argument on letters apparently written by their father, in which he explained that he used the names of relatives as it was ‘not convenient’ for him and his wife to purchase four homes in their own names, and that he later temporarily used the names of his children.
Aside from the Richards Avenue homes, the patriarch also acquired six other properties.
Each sibling would have received $2.5 million had the two homes been included in the pool of assets. However, the share would shrink to $1.5 million if the defendants had their way.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
