|
SINCE April last year, there have been at least eight reported High Court cases involving family feuds.
Some involved mother-children feuds, as in the case of Madam Hwang Chow, 80, who had sued her daughter and son-in-law for more than $520,000 from the sale of a house they had jointly bought.
The suit was settled with Madam Hwang getting an undisclosed amount. Her daughter died of hypertension three days after court papers were served on her.
In another case in July last year, the parents took their eldest son to court, which ruled in their favour over the sale of a $890,000 shophouse.
In May this year, a 68-year-old man took his 98-year-old father and two siblings to court seeking compensation for a $500,000 unit in Hock Kee House that he co-owned.
The defendants counter-sued. Both sides later agreed to drop the case.
Legal sources said more such feuds are now surfacing in the courts as family members are now less inclined to seek out-of-court settlements.
There is also less of a stigma in going to court to settle such cases now, especially in circumstances where there are huge debts involved and there are no other options to settle but by liquidating the family estate.
| 
