Chattooga County Property at Center of International Lawsuit Tied to Hong Kong Charity Scandal

A large tract of land in Chattooga County has become the focus of a civil lawsuit that reaches far beyond Northwest Georgia, connecting local property transactions to an ongoing international controversy involving a former Hong Kong charity director.

According to court filings in the Superior Court of Chattooga County, developer Joseph Lee Daniell has filed a 14-count lawsuit alleging he was defrauded in connection with a proposed 736-acre residential development near Little Egypt Road.

The lawsuit names Jacob Lam Hay-sing, founder and director of the now-defunct Christian Zheng Sheng Association, along with several other defendants connected to organizations that owned or controlled the Chattooga County property.

Court records indicate the land was marketed as a retreat and horse-based therapy center. Daniell alleges he invested more than 850 hours of development work and thousands of dollars in expenses while helping plan the project, including site development, infrastructure planning, and financing efforts.

The lawsuit claims ownership of the property was transferred between nonprofit organizations without his knowledge, ultimately causing a planned development and financing arrangement to collapse. Daniell is seeking damages and other relief through the courts.

The case has attracted international attention because Jacob Lam is among individuals wanted by authorities in Hong Kong in connection with allegations involving millions of dollars in charitable donations intended to support Christian Zheng Sheng College, a boarding school for recovering drug addicts. Lam has denied wrongdoing.

Property records cited in the lawsuit show that two parcels totaling approximately 736 acres in Chattooga County were purchased in 2022 and 2023 for a combined price of about $1.57 million. The property later became associated with a nonprofit organization promoting faith-based retreats, equine-assisted therapy, and counseling programs.

At this stage, the allegations contained in the lawsuit have not been proven in court, and no judgment has been entered regarding the claims.

The case remains pending in Chattooga County Superior Court.

For a deeper look at the international background of the lawsuit and the organizations involved, readers can view the full report from the South China Morning Post.

Fugitive Hong Kong charity director sued in US over real estate ‘shell game’ | South China Morning Post

Additional reporting and source material for this story were provided by the South China Morning Post