MAN ORDERED TO VACATE HOME AND PAY £265,000 AFTER LOSING INHERITANCE CLAIM

Robert Chung, 62, has been ordered to leave his family home in South Woodford and pay £265,000 in legal costs after Central London County Court rejected his claim to inherit his parents' entire estate. Chung had argued he alone was entitled to the three-bedroom property because he moved back in during his thirties to care for his parents. His father died in 1998 and his mother, Irene, died in 2016 without leaving a will. Under intestacy law, Irene's £600,000 estate was divided equally between Chung and his two siblings: Marina Bennett, an accountant, and Richard Chung, an IT executive.

Recorder Lawrence McDonald dismissed Chung's case, stating no promise about inheritance had been made by either parent. The judge found that Chung had not cared for or looked after either parent, with his mother handling most household duties. Chung's siblings described him as a "parasite" and "financial drain", claiming he spent time "watching movies non-stop" whilst their mother managed the home. The judge noted that Chung's contributions—giving his mother £50 weekly towards bills and preparing mashed potato for dinner—did not constitute caring for her.

McDonald stated Chung had "made things up" in court to strengthen his case and branded the legal challenge a "disgraceful insult" to his father's memory. The judge suggested Chung had likely spent his entire inheritance on the failed court bid. Their parents had raised all three children in the South Woodford property, which became their most significant asset. Chung's siblings had pursued successful careers elsewhere, their barrister telling the court their parents had instilled "self-reliance" in all three children.