newbie2009

Another option is to use the money to engage a lawyer and sue the pants out of him. Does he own a property? And I would like to suggest that all direct victims communicate via email instead. This forum contains too many postings from unaffected people and these clouds our ability to make good decisions. To everyone, 2009 has passed and lets all puy an end to this and move on. Happy new year!

Thanks seashell for initiating this. I've updated my choice below. I would like to clarify the meaning of 'loss incurred', and we should all agree on this. It should be somethg as follows: the amount paid to AS - amount of work he has done (best judgement basis) + additional costs for rental due to delayed HO The amount should not include the amounts paid to other contractors to complete the reno as we would need to incur this anyway even without AS. And I think we shouldn't add in the loss of potential rental income (my scenario)/distress as these are quite arbitrary. Anyway I don't think the amount that each will get is significant, so let's not argue over such details. Objective is to get over this and move on to discuss how to deal with AS. Again to those not directly affected by AS, pls refrain from adding posting until we've settled this. Quote: To all victims of AS, 3 days from now, please do decide, since JASKEL wants us to suggest a fairer way 1) to distribute the money equally among all affected houseowners 2) to distribute the money among all affected houseowners in accordance to how much loss incurred (based on percentage) 3) to distribute the money to the one who has the highest loss 4) your own opinion if no one voice out, we'll take it that the money to be distributed to everyone (in accordance to how much loss incurred). we will work out a date to meet up & distribute. bring all invoices and receipts. all AS victims have the right to vote. List of AS Victims: Name --- (amount of $$ lost) -- Option to distribute the money 1. Trevor -- (12k) -- (option 1/2) 2. seashell --(haven't finalize the $ lost yet) -- (option 2) 3. jesslyntan 4. fini 5. konajovin 6. fastfirefish 7. shace 8. newbie2009 - 10k ( option 1/2) 9. Jervis 10. pangpang - 1.8k ( option 1/2) 11. pinkydot 12. maryjane 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Hi everyone, this is getting out of hand, and detracts everyone from the cause of the entire saga. i suggest that this forum be open to only direct victims of AS for the next 3 days (Fri). Everyone pls refrain in participating in discussion. If you really must say something go set upanother forum. To AS victims: does anyone has a comprehensive list of all victims and contacts? Can PM me? We can communicate via email and meet up. Put a stop to the flaming online. Let's not fight amongst ourselves.

I would like to illustrate an eg of Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT). Assume 3 persons A, B and C. A asked B to perform an act. A pays B in advance for that act. B did not use that money to perform that act. Instead B used it for C. Even though not expressly stated in contract, it is implied that A paid B to do A's act. No one in his right mind would pay for another stranger. As mentioned earlier, this is an offence that carries a jail term of up to 7 years. I think there are several groups of aggrieved people in this forum: (A) those whose renovations have been completed by AS. This group wants to move on and put the whole thing behind them as AS don't owe them anything. (B) those whose renovations are on-going, paid in advance, and want to continue to wait for AS. A police report affects this group. © those whose renovations are on-going, paid in advance, have enough of AS and want a refund. Many have chosen to do the renovations with others and ask for refund thereafter. I worry that AS will not honour the refund, or worse, we may not be able to find him in Singapore as he will have ample time to dispose of his assets and flee by the time our renovations complete. I've not been able to contact AS at all for quite a while. Is someone able to update on the situation now? Does anyone has a complete list of all victims? Hopefully we can arrive at a consensus.

Hi seashell, thanks for your suggestion. But I don't think i'll go along that route. I don't want to have anything to do with AS. It is impossible to continue when there is no communication (can't get him at all) and trust. I'll rather pay more to someone whom I can trust (one of the lessons learnt). Someday i'll document a list 'lessons learnt' from this saga

i wish this were some prestigious club that i'm joining. haha. i had grand plans of celebrating Christmas at Bedok you know. here's what i think are the available options: 1. Continue with Ah Soon. This will mean that I'll have to wait and wait, and pour in more money that disappears into thin air. And if I'm truly lucky, the whole thing may complete 6 months later. Quality will definitely be lousy, corners cut, etc, given the desperate situation now. 2. Look for a separate contractor. Possibly I can complete the entire renovation by Feb. Between the 2 options, it's clear that I should look for a separate contractor. So the question is how to recover the money that Ah Soon took. There's no way for me to contact him to ask for refund, and even if I can get hold of him, he'll tell more lies (eg repay by March as he's unable to do so now). Assuming I fall for the lies again and wait till March for refund. Come March, he'll ask for more time (that is if he's still around in Singapore). So that leaves me with one option: make a police report as soon as possible. Ideally I can recover something. If not, i'll just have to move on and consider this a very expensive lesson. At least justice will be done and nobody else will be cheated by him.

huh what do you mean? you're perfectly fine and accept it when someone cheats you of $10,000? not everyone makes easy money. It's months of hard work for me. I've not heard from him after handing him the money about a month ago. I've spent hours everyday calling him. Sometimes I feel like a madman. He either refuses to pick up my call, or shuts down the phone.

Now another alternative is to wait till Mar. But given the lies that he has told, there's no stopping him from selling his possessions by then and flee to his hometown in Johore. Therefore any actions must be taken immediately.

Also an article on tax evasion - 2 years in this case: http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/SME%2...216-122275.html Two-year term and $1.5m penalty imposed on GST cheat UTE accountant made false entries in GST returns 40 times. Mon, Feb 16, 2009 The Straits Times AFTER 10 years of tax evasion, Teo Kiok Seng, 45, has been slapped with the maximum two-year jail term and a $1.5 million penalty. The accountant assisted his company, United Team Enterprise (UTE), in evading tax by making false entries in goods and services tax (GST) returns 40 times between 1996 and 2007. District Judge May Mesenas set the penalty at three times the amount of tax undercharged. Initially, Teo was a director of UTE, a general wholesale trade company, until he gave up the position in July 2003 to take on the role of accountant. Investigations by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) showed that Teo submitted fake input tax claims in UTE's GST returns when the company was dormant. He falsely declared export figures and purchases with GST incurred to make refund claims when there was no business activity. GST-registered traders can offset the GST they pay on their purchases, known as input tax, against the GST (output tax) they collect from sales, and pay the difference to Iras in each claim year. If a business incurs more GST on purchases than it collects from sales, it can claim a refund. Iras' principal legal officer Quek Hui Ling highlighted aggravating factors in the case such as the long period of fraudulent activity and Teo's deliberate course of conduct. He could have been fined up to $10,000 or jailed up to seven years or both on each charge, in addition to the penalty. Another 86 charges were considered during his sentencing.

Here's the penal code taken from http://statutes.agc.gov.sg. Property=money entrusted to Ah Soon. He has breached many contracts, both express and implied. Each liable with jail term of 7 years. Criminal breach of trust. 405. Whoever, being in any manner entrusted with property, or with any dominion over property, dishonestly misappropriates or converts to his own use that property, or dishonestly uses or disposes of that property in violation of any direction of law prescribing the mode in which such trust is to be discharged, or of any legal contract, express or implied, which he has made touching the discharge of such trust, or wilfully suffers any other person to do so, commits “criminal breach of trust”. Illustration (a) A, being executor to the will of a deceased person, dishonestly disobeys the law which directs him to divide the effects according to the will, and appropriates them to his own use. A has committed criminal breach of trust. (b) A is a warehouse-keeper. Z, going on a journey, entrusts his furniture to A, under a contract that it shall be returned on payment of a stipulated sum for warehouse room. A dishonestly sells the goods. A has committed breach of trust. © A, residing in Singapore, is agent for Z, residing in Penang. There is an express or implied contract between A and Z that all sums remitted by Z to A shall be invested by A according to Z’s direction. Z remits $5,000 to A, with directions to A to invest the same in Government securities. A dishonestly disobeys the direction, and employs the money in his own business. A has committed criminal breach of trust. (d) But if A, in the last illustration, not dishonestly, but in good faith, believing that it will be more for Z’s advantage to hold shares in the Bank X, disobeys Z’s directions, and buys shares in the Bank X for Z, instead of buying Government securities, here, though Z should suffer loss and should be entitled to bring a civil action against A on account of that loss, yet A, not having acted dishonestly, has not committed criminal breach of trust. (e) A, a collector of Government money, or a clerk in a Government office, is entrusted with public money, and is either directed by law, or bound by a contract, express or implied, with the Government, to pay into a certain treasury all the public money which he holds. A dishonestly appropriates the money. A has committed criminal breach of trust. (f) A, a carrier, is entrusted by Z with property to be carried by land or by water. A dishonestly misappropriates the property. A has committed criminal breach of trust. Punishment of criminal breach of trust. 406. Whoever commits criminal breach of trust shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both. Criminal breach of trust by carrier, etc. 407. Whoever, being entrusted with property as a carrier, wharfinger or warehouse-keeper, commits criminal breach of trust in respect of such property, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to fine. Criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant. 408. Whoever, being a clerk or servant, or employed as a clerk or servant, and being in any manner entrusted in such capacity with property, or with any dominion over property, commits criminal breach of trust in respect of that property, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to fine. Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant, or agent. 409. Whoever, being in any manner entrusted with property, or with any dominion over property, in his capacity of a public servant, or in the way of his business as a banker, merchant, factor, broker, attorney or agent, commits criminal breach of trust in respect of that property, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

The family can influence him. I have little other options. Here's the specific paragraph in job applications. "Have you been or are you under any financial embarassment.". Points a-d are merely examples of 'embarassment'. 4. Have you been or are you under any financial embarrassment i.e. (a) an undischarged bankrupt, (b) a judgement debtor, © have unsecured debts and liabilities of more than 3 months of last-drawn pay, (d) have signed a promissory note or an acknowledgement of indebtedness?

I'll make A LOT of noise at HDB till they relent. In particular, I'll go to HDB with the police report on Monday. The report should carry a lot of weight.

He is still thinking of cheating! How else to explain that he picks up only unfamiliar numbers?! To all who aren't victims yet, do yourself a favour and don't call him.

Totally agree. To be honest, I don't mind that my flat is delayed, even by a couple of months, if he had been honest and forthcoming. But I do mind being lied to and cheated and made to look like a fool. When he says 'pay me 20% more and i'll ask the electrical guy to come', i was wary and asked him straight in the face whether he intended to use the money to pay for others. He assured me that this isn't the case. After paying him, he disappears. And this was three weeks ago. I call him day in and day out to no avail. Initially my father cycled to the flat everyday to meet the electrical guy, all in vain. I had wanted to think of a win-win solution. But i've given up. Now I'm so angry that i don't mind losing the $10k. I just want justice done, even if it's lose-lose. So this is what i'm going to do. i've taken leave next monday: 1. I'll pay $100 to file in small claims. 2. Make a police report. I can think of at least 3 crimimal offences. (a) Cheating (b) Operating a pyramid scheme which works so long as there are new entrants (3) tax evasion. All of which carry jail terms. 3. Go to HDB and list him as a rogue contractor. This will prevent him from cheating new people as he is unable to apply for permit. Are there any legal experts in the forum? I'm a bit concerned to read that a supplier has sued him. There are 2 possible ways of distributing assets to creditors - first come first serve or equitable distribution to all creditors. If it's the former, we should all file our claims asap.

Can you PM me his address? I'll spend some time to find out who are his family members, where they work and their social life. If he has a conscience, he can sell his car, vans, flat, plantation, houses in batam and johore etc. But I doubt so.