A High Court judge suggested yesterday that the mother of late Canto-pop diva Anita Mui Yim-fong resolve the lawsuit she has brought over her daughter's estate when he refused to award her HK$500,000 from the estate to pay a debt.
Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said: 'Your request for money should actually be entertained by the trustee but you place the burden on the shoulder of the court [by making all these applications]. It has now become so expensive - look, all these lawyers have come. You have complicated things, and the way you do it is against your daughter's wishes.'
Tam Mei-kam had applied for a court order allowing her to use money from Mui's HK$100 million estate to pay HK$500,0000 to a landlord who had brought bankruptcy proceedings against her for unpaid rent.
That case involves rent for a North Point office of an anti-cancer organisation Ms Tam set up years ago. She is required to pay the balance to the landlord by next Monday or face being declared bankrupt.
Ms Tam receives HK$120,000 a month from a trust her daughter set up. Yesterday she said to Mr Justice Cheung: 'So today your lordship is going to see me die and not give a helping hand. How can Anita rest in peace?'
Mr Justice Cheung said he found it very difficult to award Ms Tam money from Mui's estate because he knew Ms Tam owed other debts and her creditors might see it as an opportunity to recover monies owed.