A man must honour an agreement to distribute S$600,000 from a property sale to two brothers excluded from their mother’s will, the High Court has ruled.
Justice Christopher Tan upheld the agreement in a judgment dated 19 October 2026, following a lawsuit brought by David Chan Yip Tong against his brother Franklin.
House Sold for S$5 Million
Their mother died in December 2012, leaving assets to David, Franklin and two granddaughters. Her sons George and Jack received nothing under the will.
David and Franklin inherited equal shares of a semi-detached house in Eng Kong Road. In 2018, their uncle proposed that they each contribute S$300,000, giving George and Jack S$300,000 apiece. The brothers agreed orally, but payment did not follow.
When a buyer offered S$5 million in 2021, David refused to sign the option to purchase unless Franklin agreed to the payments.
Both signed a handwritten agreement on 11 September 2021. David then signed the sale document.
Franklin repudiated the agreement the next day, claiming duress. The sale nevertheless completed in April 2022, with the disputed S$600,000 placed in a joint account requiring both brothers’ approval for withdrawals.
Court Upholds Signed Agreement
The judge found that David’s consent to the sale provided something of legal value in exchange for Franklin’s promise.
He also rejected economic duress. Franklin could have declined the sale or sought a court order compelling it. The S$5 million offer exceeded the bank’s S$4.5 million valuation.
The court ruled that the entire S$600,000 should go to George and Jack. Each contributing brother’s share was S$300,000.
