Anthony Thomas Price, an American, rented two landed houses in Singapore through two shell companies – Noranth Ventures and Bundleluxe. The leases covered periods from 2019 to 2024 and again from May 2026 to April 2028, but the companies never intended to pay the rent.

The landlords received only the first month’s rent and half of the agreed S$15,000 security deposit. After that, the companies stopped paying rent, left utilities unpaid and even installed CCTV cameras without permission.

The court described Price’s actions as a “deliberate scheme”. It ordered Noranth Ventures and Bundleluxe to pay the overdue rent, cover legal costs of S$17,031.98 and return the properties to the elderly couple who owned them.

Judge Chiah noted that both companies had a paid‑up capital of just S$200 and were registered at virtual‑office addresses. This low capital and the use of virtual offices showed a clear pattern of using shell companies to rent residential premises between 2019 and 2024.

When Price argued that the landlords had not given a proper notice before re‑entering the homes, Judge Chiah rejected the claim. She said no notice under Section 18(1) of the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act was needed for re‑entry caused by non‑payment of rent, and that notice had already been given for other breaches.

The case highlights two practical safeguards for landlords: verify the paid‑up capital and physical address of any corporate tenant, and include explicit re‑entry clauses that trigger automatically when rent is missed.