http://www.divaasia.com/article/26932
The High Court, in decision grounds released on Monday, dismissed Mr Andrew Sim's claim for an equal share of the $400,000 Housing Board flat, finding that his spouse Wee Siew Gee's indirect contributions to the family outweighed any share he would have got.
Mr Sim, a 63-year-old cabby, and Madam Wee, 62, were married for 39 years but lived apart after he left the Tampines family home in 1993. They have a daughter now aged 37.
When he took steps to divorce her last year, the issue of dealing with their joint asset and maintenance came up for a decision.
District Judge Sowaran Singh ruled in June the flat was to be handed over to Madam Wee and with no order as to maintenance. The judge also ruled there would be no refund of his CPF monies used in buying the flat, about nine times that of her CPF contribution.
On appeal, Mr Sim argued he took care of all major household and family expenses in the 20 years before he left, even after he was made bankrupt in 1984.
But the court found the evidence of Madam Wee to be more credible. Mr Sim had been a bankrupt for about 15 years and showed no documentary evidence of his contributions to the flat renovations or household expenses.
It also emerged that he had gambling debts and when he served jail time in 1983 for cheating, the family helped pay off some of his debts.
He left in 1993 after an altercation which led to a police report. After he left, he provided no financial support to the family.
The court accepted that he "occasionally" contributed towards some household expenses, but Madam Wee's share towards renovations, homemaking, parenting and household expenses were were "far higher" and "far more significant" than Mr Sim's.
Judicial commissioner Wei said a clean break was in the best interest of the parties.
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