Brother of S'pore PR, 87, with dementia & S$16.97 million in assets gets her to appoint him & his son as donees instead of own son

After a decade since his last visit, a 91-year-old man living in the United States came to visit his dementia-ridden 87-year-old sister in Singapore.

The purpose of his visit was to engage his sister in executing a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to appoint himself as a donee and his son as the replacement donee.

He also listed himself as the true owner of two residential properties owned by his sister, collectively worth around S$5.7 million, through a Statutory Declaration (SD).

When her 62-year-old son, who resides in Australia, noticed something amiss, he managed to get both the LPA and SD revoked and invalidated.

The brother then filed an appeal against the decision on the LPA, but it was dismissed by the appeal judge, according to a judgment dated Dec. 10, 2025.

Estate valued at S$16.97 million

According to the judgment, the elderly woman, a foreign national with permanent residency in Singapore, began showing signs of cognitive decline in 2017.

Her total estate is valued at approximately S$16.97 million, consisting of different asset classes.

These include significant cash holdings and shares received as gifts and inheritance from her late mother, nearly 20 bank accounts worth over S$2.6 million, a securities portfolio worth more than S$1.6 million, and monthly payouts from her pension and CPF.

She also owns several properties.

Her condition was assessed to have worsened to moderate dementia on Jul. 13, 2023.

Some signs of cognitive decline include requiring assistance with basic tasks, such as locating misplaced items or her mobile phone, and becoming verbally and physically aggressive when frustrated.

Shortly after that diagnosis, the woman suffered a fall and was hospitalised on Jul. 21, 2023.

Four days later, a senior medical social worker at the hospital informed both her son and brother that she needed full-time care.

According to the discharge summary dated Aug. 1, 2023, she could not recall the fall, was unaware of why she was admitted, and did not know which hospital she was in.

She was then transferred to a transitional care facility the next day.

LPA and SD executed

Later in August, the brother arrived in Singapore and managed to get the LPA and SD executed.

He and his son brought the woman to a consultant psychiatrist, who noted that he was satisfied, based on his assessment of the woman, that she understood the nature and purpose of an LPA.

He also noted that she wanted to appoint her brother as her donee on the basis that "he had looked after her and supported her over the years, and that she trusted him the most and he knew her best".

The court found that the brother had last come to Singapore in 2010.

Son discovered uncle was given power of attorney

The woman's son discovered the existence of the LPA and SD during his visit to Singapore in December 2023.

According to him, when he asked his mother about the LPA, she was unable to recall any details.

He then filed an application in the Family Court for the revocation of the LPA and the invalidation of the SD on the grounds that his mother was suffering from dementia.

During the hearing, it was revealed that the woman had no recollection of the assets under her name and lacked the mental capacity to draft the LPA.

The district judge also found that the woman's son had a good relationship with her, given his frequent calls and visits.

Appeal dismissed

The appeal judge agreed with the district judge’s findings and dismissed the brother’s appeal against the decision on the LPA.

She found that the woman lacked the "requisite mental capacity to engage in the decision-making process for executing the LPA".

"The evidence shows that [the woman] could not appreciate what an LPA was, could not understand how the LPA related to her own circumstances, and could not grasp the consequences of executing the LPA," she said.

Top photo from Canva