Sisters Fight Each Other Over More Than 20 Properties Left By Late Mum

Source : The Straits Times, Sep 8, 2007

TWO sisters will be battling it out in court over who should inherit the more than 20 properties here and in Batam left by their late mother.

The family's youngest daughter, Ms Caroline Chee, a doctor, is standing by a will drawn up in 1989 by the clan's matriarch, Madam Goh Hun Keong, which leaves most of these properties to her.

But her elder sister, law graduate Muriel Chee, disputes this, and claims that their mother made a second will in 1996, which leaves almost everything to everybody else except the youngest girl.

Madam Goh had three sons and three daughters.

The case was brought up in the High Court yesterday, where an application by two other Chee siblings, who are now based in the United States, to join in the proceedings was approved by Assistant Registrar Chung Yoon Joo.

A pre-trial conference is due next week.

Based on court documents filed, at least one half of a $9 million house in Holland Road, two shophouses in Holland Village, three walk-up units in Jalan Loyang Besar, and 26 properties in Batam are at stake.

The actual number of assets left behind by Madam Goh, who died in 2004 and whose doctor-husband died before her in 1990, remains to be determined, as the sole issue before the courts is which will should apply.

Under the first will made in March 1989, Madam Goh appointed Ms Caroline Chee as the sole trustee and bequeathed her the two shophouses and whatever was left of the estate after the proceeds from the sale of the three walk-up units were used to cover the medical bills of her then-bedridden husband.

Anything left over from the proceeds was to be used for any of the grandchildren's education at Ms Caroline Chee's discretion.

The 1989 will also left some $150,000 to her third son, Ping Swee.

But Madam Muriel Chee, who is represented by lawyers from Harry Elias Partnership, claims this will is void because of the 1996 one Madam Goh drew up, for which the matriarch appointed Madam Muriel Chee and her cousin, Dr Goh King Hua, as trustees.

Among other things, this later will provides for Madam Goh's assets to be distributed between her three sons and two daughters, excluding Ms Caroline Chee.

All the youngest girl and her spouse stood to get was the first option to buy up Madam Goh's half of the Holland Road house - at market rates.

The will was signed at Madam Muriel Chee's Greenleaf Place house in the presence of two lawyers and Dr Goh.

Ms Caroline Chee, an opthalmologist at the National University Hospital, is expected to raise doubts about the circumstances under which the second will was made by suggesting that Madam Goh, then aged 75, had patchy memory and senile dementia, among other problems.

Her lawyers from law firm Wee Swee Teow are expected to cite medical evidence to support her case.

Her sister is expected to counter this and question whether undue influence was exerted on Madam Goh when the first will was made in 1989.

By K.C. Vijayan, Law Correspondent