The Jesus Is Lord Church Ltd. secured a favorable ruling from the Hong Kong High Court in a dispute over a Kowloon property. The court rejected all claims by JIL Investments Ltd. The judgment confirmed the church's full legal and beneficial ownership under a lease-to-own agreement.
In a judgment dated March 31, Deputy High Court Judge Jonathan Wong upheld the Jesus Is Lord Church Ltd.'s full legal and beneficial ownership of the Kowloon property. The church fulfilled its obligations over more than a decade, including monthly payments, before exercising its option to purchase.
The court condemned the plaintiff's actions, particularly secretly encumbering the property with a HK$30 million mortgage before the lease expired. It rejected JIL Investments Ltd.'s attempt to invalidate the church's purchase, ruling that the formal notice fully complied with contractual requirements.
The church personally delivered the notice to Stephen Sy, JIL Investments' representative, whom the court held as the de facto decision-maker. The church was entitled to rely on his authority. The court ordered the plaintiff to bear all mortgage-related liabilities.
