SibueyJialat! - All welcome to share jialat happenings

[kuasimi]

[ST] More seniors being cheated by their kids


http://forums.$$$$$$$$$$$$.com.sg/ea...s-5283699.html

Quote:
Social workers are seeing more senior citizens who have been cheated or financially abused by their children.

The children may have tricked or talked the parents into selling their home, often with the promise that the parents can live with the children in the children's home. But after taking the sale proceeds, they treat the parents shabbily, some even throwing the parents out.

There are also cases where children hold a parent's ATM card or manage their finances, as the parent may be too frail to go to the bank or is unfamiliar with the banking system. But the parent's life savings get wiped out as the children help themselves to the money.

Also common are situations of adult sons demanding money regularly from elderly parents and turning violent if they do not comply.

TRANS Safe Centre, a charity specialising in helping abused elderly people, dealt with 11 seniors who suffered some form of financial abuse last year. In 2008, it had only two such cases, its senior social worker Mrs Chua Yixin told The Sunday Times.

Care Corner Project StART, another of the three agencies that specialise in helping those affected by family violence, estimates that it had about 20 such new cases last year, a "considerable" rise over the last few years, its team leader Kristine Lam said.

Pave, another family violence specialist centre, does not track the number of seniors who have been financially abused, but said the issue is definitely of concern. This is because social workers say that the cases reported are but the tip of the iceberg. Parents not only fear they will get the children in trouble if they go to the police, but also worry that the children will cut off ties if they go public.

And even when they seek assistance, it is often for financial aid or to find a place to stay for themselves or the abusive child. When doing so, they keep mum about how they have been exploited.

Said Mrs Chua: "The elderly may not even see this as abuse, but as their bad karma to have an unfilial child. They think it's shameful to tell others and they don't know what can be done about it."

Take for example the case cited by Project StART's Ms Lam of a widow in her 80s whose only child got her to sell her house worth $4 million. The son, a businessman in his 40s, asked his mother to sign a document, purportedly to rent out her house and give him the rental income to help him cope with business woes.

As it turned out, the document was for the sale of the house. He later promised to buy her a small flat.

But that did not happen, and she found herself living with his family of five in his two-room flat. The woman also said her daughter- in-law treated her badly.

But she put up with it, as her son told her he would cut off ties and not attend her funeral if she went against his wishes, Ms Lam said.

Social workers say the financial abuse cuts across all income groups.

Mrs Chua gives the example of a widow in her 80s who receives $450 a month from the Government's Public Assistance (PA) scheme for the destitute.

She is bedridden and lives with the youngest of her six children, a son in his 50s. The jobless man used his mother's PA money for himself, leaving her malnourished, among other problems. He even took his mother out to the streets to beg, his siblings told Mrs Chua.

But when they questioned their brother or tried to visit the old woman, he threatened to kill himself and found ways to stop them from visiting her. With the social workers' help, however, the other children eventually managed to have her placed in a nursing home.

Mrs Chua said many such abuse cases come to light only when the other children smell a rat.

For instance, when the parents are not properly looked after, or when the child who is suspected of cheating the parent prevents siblings from having any contact with the parent.

One man even went so far as to take his mother to a lawyer's office to sign a statutory declaration - a statement made under oath - that she did not want any contact with her four other children. She also signed a letter authorising the son, a professional in his 40s, to handle her finances - her worth is estimated to be in the millions.

The son has prevented his siblings from visiting. He refuses to open the door when they show up, and they have not seen their mother, who is in her 80s and uses a wheelchair, for over a year.

The woman's other children suspect that he has got her to make him the sole beneficiary in her will, Mrs Chua said. They are now exploring their options to gain access to their mother, she added.

Many cases of financial abuse involve a son abusing his mother.

Said Mrs Chua: "Mothers tend to give in to their children's demands more often than dads. Traditionally, mothers dote on their sons more, so some take advantage of this."

Associate Professor Ruby Lee of the National University of Singapore Law Faculty said financial abuse is a tough nut to crack as most seniors do not want to report the wrongdoing or take their children to court.

Making a police report may not help, because the children's actions, while morally wrong, may not be a criminal offence, she said, citing the example of children reneging on their promise to house their parents after taking the proceeds from selling the parents' flat.

But if a parent has lost his mental capacity due to dementia, for example, and a child is suspected of cheating the parent, the siblings can ask the court to appoint them as deputies to make key decisions on the parent's behalf.

For a start, social workers say it is important to raise awareness of financial abuse so that the elderly can learn how to safeguard their money. Ms Micki Sim, a social worker at @27 Family Service Centre, suggested: "Talk to someone, like a social worker, if you feel you have been exploited and we will see how we can help."

[kuasimi]

Singapore remains world's most expensive city





http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31689124


Singapore has retained its position as the world's most expensive city, according to research by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The top five most expensive cities in the world remain unchanged from a year earlier and include, in descending order, Paris, Oslo, Zurich and Sydney.
The EIU's survey comprises 133 cities worldwide and uses New York as a base.

It compares the cost of more than 160 services and products including food, clothing and utility bills.

Singapore was found to be 11% more expensive than New York for basic groceries.

And together with Seoul, it was found to be the most expensive place in the world for clothes, "with prices 50% higher than New York", the EIU said.
"Most significantly, Singapore's complex Certificate of Entitlement system makes car prices excessive, with Singaporean transport costs almost three times higher than in New York."

The information gathered for the survey is designed to be used online as a way to calculate the cost of relocating and living for expatriates and business travellers.


Most expensive cities
Singapore
2. Paris, France
3. Oslo, Norway
4. Zurich, Switzerland
5. Sydney, Australia

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Currency moves

The EIU said it was "very rare" to have an unchanged top five in their survey, especially considering the worldwide drop in oil prices together with deflationary pressures in many markets.

Foreign currency movements and falling oil prices had an effect on the cost of living in several cities.

Most notably, a weaker currency in Venezuela saw Caracas slide 124 places in the ranking, from the sixth most expensive city last year, to one of the cheapest this year.

However, the survey does not take into account the recent jump in value of the Swiss franc.

The EIU said that Zurich would top the list if that was included in the cost analysis.

In 2014, Singapore replaced Tokyo, which topped the list in 2013.

Japan's capital fell to 11th place this year as its currency weakened against the dollar and deflation continued to impact the economy.

[kuasimi]

4-room flat in Clementi fetches $900,000 for the first time


http://forums.$$$$$$$$$$$$.com.sg/ea...e-5282536.html


What economic crisis?



4-room flat in Clementi fetches $900,000 for the first time



SINGAPORE - A four-room flat in Clementi was sold for a record-breaking $900,000 in December, according to statistics on the Housing and Development Board (HDB) website.

According to SRX Property, it is the first time that a resale of a four-room unit in the Clementi area has topped the $900,000 mark.


The flat in question is a high-floor unit located at 441A Clementi Avenue 3. It is situated next to the Clementi MRT station and Clementi Bus Interchange, and is within walking distance to schools such as Clementi Primary School and Pei Tong Primary School.

A check on HDB's website shows that in the past six months, the highest resale transactions for four-room flats in Clementi were all located along the same street, which is also near The Clementi Mall and the Clementi Central Market and Food Centre.

A 4-room flat on the same street fetched $888,888 last month, while another was sold at $850,000. In November, a 4-room flat at Clementi Ave 3 fetched $720,000, while two other units were sold for $620,000 and $700,000 in September and July.

Based on SRX figures, there have been 25 instances of four-room flats being sold for $900,000 or more. All of them, aside from the one in Clementi, have come from the Pinnacle@Duxton along Cantonment Road.

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[chrisdemon2004]

This kuasimi really PITA....

[belfull]

Originally Posted by chrisdemon2004

This kuasimi really PITA....

He's damn desperate

[sundial]

Originally Posted by SibueyJiaLat

See the Ignore button! Click and say yes! You will not read his post.

Where is the ignore button on the mobile version
Sucking up my data plan

[katong]

Can someone zap this fkcer?

[SibueyJiaLat]

Thank you for your jialat story.

Please post more jialat stories to share here.

Originally Posted by herotan

wah, just found this thread today. It does lighten up my day

just to share my jialat story.

About 2 years ago my wife suddenly told me her pms never come. I was like huh? cant be leh. so asked her to do self-test. Found out positive. I was like siao lah, we were not prepared for this. So I asked her when we did? she said one night that I was very drunk. I had no impression at all leh.
Eversince that incident, we never make love liao. I scared.
Now u know why I chiong liao. Hahaha.

Anyone has such encounter?

[SibueyJiaLat]

Originally Posted by chrisdemon2004

This kuasimi really PITA....

Originally Posted by belfull

He's damn desperate

Originally Posted by sundial

Where is the ignore button on the mobile version
Sucking up my data plan

Originally Posted by katong

Can someone zap this fkcer?

Sibueyjialat lah!. Just ignore him by adding the post into Ignore List. Will never get to read the post.

Jialat! This section cannot zap lah!

[Kampuchea]

Thank you for all who had posted their share of stories. Thank you TS for starting this thread.

[Kampuchee]

Originally Posted by Kampuchea

Thank you for all who had posted their share of stories. Thank you TS for starting this thread.

Agree with you. Thank everyone

[herotan]

Originally Posted by SibueyJiaLat

Thank you for your jialat story.

Please post more jialat stories to share here.

Wah Piangz bro, one jialat jialat case enuff liao loh...hahaha. But in any case there is KC stories, I wanna hear also leh.

[tikogoh]

Originally Posted by kuasimi

[ST] More seniors being cheated by their kids


http://forums.$$$$$$$$$$$$.com.sg/ea...s-5283699.html

I know a similar story too. A relative instigated the daughters to take possession of the flat so that the sons have no share. I forgot how they overruled the will the mum wrote.

Sadly the sons lost the case, partly to a hidden ruling and partly to them engaging a lousy lawyer

[SibueyJiaLat]

Thank you for all your support.

Please post all your jialat stories here to share.

[kinkyguy22]

Referring to the bro that his wife got pregnant without remembering shooting inside....

Erm.... not to spoil mood... but if u cannot remember shooting in raw.... there could be some small posiibilities that it might not be you.