SINGAPORE: Restaurant owner Tan Soy Tee, 64, had allowed his friend to live rent-free with him for 20 years and had paid for the bulk of a five-room flat in Hougang that was under the friend Yeo Hung Song’s name.
However, Yeo, 48, was found hanged at a gay sex club in Boat Quay on Nov 19, 2012.
Last year, his brother, Mr Yeo Hang Ming, became the administrator of his estate and Mr Tan sued Mr Yeo to reclaim the money he had lent or advanced to the deceased.
On Tuesday (Dec 16), Judicial Commissioner Lee Kim Shin ruled in an oral judgment partially held behind closed doors that Mr Tan was entitled to about S$228,000, as well as 65 per cent of the profits from the sale of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Hougang.
Although Mr Tan had claimed a sum of about S$310,000 and a share of the profits from the sale of the flat, some of his loans could not be substantiated.
According to court documents tendered, Mr Tan and Mr Yeo gave differing accounts of the deceased’s life.
In his defence, Mr Yeo said his brother had worked as an electrician and operated a cooked-food stall in Paya Lebar. His brother got to know Mr Tan at the pharmacy where the latter worked when he was buying medicine there, said Mr Yeo.
In his statement of claim, Mr Tan said he had employed Yeo as a kitchen helper from 1993 and that the latter had begun living with him because he had little money.
In 2007, Yeo decided he wanted to buy a flat for himself and sought financial help from Mr Tan. However, Yeo was still unable to raise enough funds. In 2009, Yeo bought the HDB flat in Hougang for about S$345,000, with at least S$231,000 from Mr Tan. Yeo paid for the balance with his Central Provident Fund savings and a housing loan he took from the HDB.
Besides the payment for the flat, Mr Tan also claimed he had forked out money for the purchase of a car that was in Yeo’s name. However, Mr Yeo said his brother had never mentioned working as a kitchen helper or living with Mr Tan. He said the deceased had led a simple life and that he would have accumulated enough savings to purchase the Hougang flat and car.
Mr Tan, a bespectacled divorcee, told reporters on Tuesday that he had wanted to will his CPF savings and the flat to Yeo as the former had no family. He also found Yeo “pitiful” when he first got to know the deceased.
Mr Yeo was not in court on Tuesday.
With Yeo’s death, Mr Tan said he has willed his money to another employee. When asked about the judgment, Mr Tan said: “It’s not really about money, I just want to prove the money belongs to me.”
However, Yeo, 48, was found hanged at a gay sex club in Boat Quay on Nov 19, 2012.
Last year, his brother, Mr Yeo Hang Ming, became the administrator of his estate and Mr Tan sued Mr Yeo to reclaim the money he had lent or advanced to the deceased.
On Tuesday (Dec 16), Judicial Commissioner Lee Kim Shin ruled in an oral judgment partially held behind closed doors that Mr Tan was entitled to about S$228,000, as well as 65 per cent of the profits from the sale of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Hougang.
Although Mr Tan had claimed a sum of about S$310,000 and a share of the profits from the sale of the flat, some of his loans could not be substantiated.
According to court documents tendered, Mr Tan and Mr Yeo gave differing accounts of the deceased’s life.
In his defence, Mr Yeo said his brother had worked as an electrician and operated a cooked-food stall in Paya Lebar. His brother got to know Mr Tan at the pharmacy where the latter worked when he was buying medicine there, said Mr Yeo.
In his statement of claim, Mr Tan said he had employed Yeo as a kitchen helper from 1993 and that the latter had begun living with him because he had little money.
In 2007, Yeo decided he wanted to buy a flat for himself and sought financial help from Mr Tan. However, Yeo was still unable to raise enough funds. In 2009, Yeo bought the HDB flat in Hougang for about S$345,000, with at least S$231,000 from Mr Tan. Yeo paid for the balance with his Central Provident Fund savings and a housing loan he took from the HDB.
Besides the payment for the flat, Mr Tan also claimed he had forked out money for the purchase of a car that was in Yeo’s name. However, Mr Yeo said his brother had never mentioned working as a kitchen helper or living with Mr Tan. He said the deceased had led a simple life and that he would have accumulated enough savings to purchase the Hougang flat and car.
Mr Tan, a bespectacled divorcee, told reporters on Tuesday that he had wanted to will his CPF savings and the flat to Yeo as the former had no family. He also found Yeo “pitiful” when he first got to know the deceased.
Mr Yeo was not in court on Tuesday.
With Yeo’s death, Mr Tan said he has willed his money to another employee. When asked about the judgment, Mr Tan said: “It’s not really about money, I just want to prove the money belongs to me.”
