JIL Church wins Kowloon property dispute
MANILA, Philippines — The Jesus Is Lord Church Ltd. has secured a favorable ruling from the Hong Kong High Court over a contested property in Kowloon, thereby rejecting all claims brought by JIL Investments Ltd.
In a judgment dated March 31, Deputy High Court Judge Jonathan Wong upheld JIL Church’s full legal and beneficial ownership of the property, confirming that it had properly exercised its rights under a longstanding lease-to-own agreement.
The court found that JIL Church faithfully fulfilled its obligations over more than a decade, making monthly payments before exercising its contractual option to purchase the property. In contrast, the Court condemned the Plaintiff’s ads – most notably secretly encumbering the property with a HK$30 million mortgage prior to the lease’s expiration.
The Court also rejected the Plaintiff’s attempt to invalidate JIL Church’s purchase, ruling that its formal notice – personally delivered to Stephen Sy, representative of JIL Investments Ltd. – fully complied with contractual requirements. The Court further held that Sy remained the de facto decision-maker and that the Church was entitled to rely on his authority.
Acknowledging the existing mortgage on the property, the Court ordered the Plaintiff to bear all mortgage-related liabilities.
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