A large tract of land in Chattooga County has become the subject of a civil lawsuit with international connections, linking a proposed local development project to an ongoing controversy involving a former Hong Kong charity director.
According to court filings in Chattooga County Superior Court, developer Joseph Lee Daniell has filed a 14-count lawsuit alleging he was defrauded in connection with a planned 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 individuals and organizations that allegedly owned or controlled the property involved in the development proposal.
Court records indicate the property was being promoted as a retreat and horse-based therapy center. Daniell claims he invested more than 850 hours of work and spent thousands of dollars on planning efforts, including site development, infrastructure design, financing arrangements, and other project-related activities.
According to the complaint, ownership of the property was transferred between nonprofit organizations without Daniell’s knowledge, ultimately causing a planned development and financing agreement to collapse. The lawsuit seeks damages and other relief from the defendants.
The case has drawn attention beyond Northwest Georgia because Jacob Lam is among individuals sought 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 publicly denied any wrongdoing.
Property records referenced 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 roughly $1.57 million. The land later became associated with a nonprofit organization that promoted faith-based retreats, equine-assisted therapy, counseling services, and related programs.
At this stage, the allegations contained in the lawsuit remain unproven. No court has ruled on the claims, and no judgment has been entered in the case.
The lawsuit remains pending in Chattooga County Superior Court.
Additional reporting and source material related to the international aspects of the case were provided by the South China Morning Post, which has reported extensively on the controversy surrounding the Christian Zheng Sheng Association and its former leadership.