Kopitiam founder sues contractor for incomplete work on his 2 bungalows, saying it was unsuitable to live in

F&B magnate Lim Bee Huat has sued a building contractor for allegedly causing extensive defects in his two adjoining bungalows during renovation.

The founder of Kopitiam Group, who is in his 70s, is bringing Tiandi ACMV Engineering to court for breach of contract.

According to Lianhe Zaobao (Zaobao), Lim has alleged that Tiandi failed to satisfactorily complete the project on the two bungalows along Whitley Road, leading to defects that he says have made it impossible for his family to move in. 

He is seeking compensation, with the precise amount to be decided by the court.

In response, Tiandi asserts that the renovation issues were actually caused by a separate contractor that Lim engaged.

This is the second time that Lim has initiated legal action regarding the Whitley Road bungalows.

According to Zaobao, Lim claimed that the construction of the two bungalows cost him S$9 million.

Construction

On Sep. 14 and 15, Lim told the High Court that the two residences were unsuitable for habitation.

According to Lim, he originally owned a bungalow at the present site, 111 Whitley Road. In 2012, he bought an adjacent plot of land, planning to build two connected houses with a combined area of 634.4 square meters.

According to The Straits Times (ST), Lim was introduced to the contractor, Per Poh Huat, by an employee, Pek Han Kok.

Pek was the owner of Tiandi, and Future Innovation & Construction.

According to Zaobao, Lim decided to hire Future Innovation in 2016, with the project being passed on to Tiandi the following year.

The contract that Lim and Tiandi inked amounted to S$3.5 million, with the project stipulated to be finished by Jun. 7, 2019.

Breakdown

However, Lim claims that the project ran into severe delays.

In Jan. 2019, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) inspected the two houses and found multiple instances of non-compliance with their guidelines, leading them to suspend issuance of the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP).

The TOP allows a tenant to move into a house before works are fully completed, or if they are still pending clearance from other authorities.

Shortly after, Lim was informed that he was permitted to move into one of the two houses.

As such, he moved in while the other house was still heavily unfinished.

Testifying in court, Lim stated that he held a housewarming party with more than 1,000 guests, who were simultaneously amazed by the size of the residence as well as confused by the unfinished state of the adjacent building.

In May 2021, Lim said that Tiandi had allegedly abandoned the project, purportedly leaving the two houses in a state of disrepair.

This included water pooling in corners, exposed electrical wiring on the exterior, half-finished floor tiling, and an incomplete walkway connecting the two houses.

Lim asked Tiandi to rectify the issues, but was rebuffed.

As such, he alleges that he had to buy a new residence elsewhere, moving there in October 2021.

111 Whitley Road was subsequently left abandoned.

Citing a breach of the contract, Lim is seeking damages from Tiandi for the cost of fixing the defects as well as the financial loss from being unable to move into the house.

Rebuttal

Zaobao reported that Tiandi has denied these claims, stating that they had in fact completed the project in accordance with the contract as well as relevant guidelines.

The defendant's lawyer stated that the issue had in fact resulted from Lim engaging a second contractor to continue renovating after Tiandi finished the works.

According to ST, Tiandi said it was not involved in the works that resulted in the "Frankenstein House".

Zaobao also reported them saying that Lim's motive was to increase the total floor area while evading additional property taxes.

Lim denied these accusations, saying, "I wouldn't do such a thing."

According to ST, Tian Di filed a counterclaim of S$1.14 million.

The trial is ongoing.