No. 0509

Buddhist temple loses suit over donations

Article Last Updated: 09/03/2005 03:03:05 AM

Jury orders religious group to return more than $87,000 to 'secret' donor's ex-husband
By Scott Wong, STAFF WRITER

The Purple Lotus Temple, which has plans to build an enormous Buddhist facility near Fremont's Quarry Lakes park, has lost a San Mateo County court battle that has been closely watched by the local Chinese media.
The San Bruno-based religious group was ordered by a jury this week to pay about $87,000, plus interest, to a prominent Taiwanese professor who says his ex-wife secretly donated hundreds of thousands of their dollars to the organization before their divorce.

Thomas Ho Nien Au, 69, who also has lived in San Francisco and Hillsborough, filed a lawsuit earlier this year asking that the Buddhist organization give back about half of the $330,000 his ex-wife contributed since 1992, plus damages.

But the jury decided Au — an artist, poet and professor at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei — waited too long to sue for the remainder of the funds, about $100,000 that Au discovered his wife gave in 1992. Still, Au's attorney, Benjamin Ballard of Tiburon, said he was pleased by the jury's verdict.

"The jury found (the temple) should give money back, and that was the right decision," Ballard said. "The case was well-prepared and well-tried by both sides."

The Rev. Alfred Wang, who manages the San Bruno temple, said the group plans to appeal the jury's decision. But he called the trial a good lesson that will cause nonprofit organizations to re-evaluate policies for collecting donations.

"It's been a great learning experience for all of us," Wang said. "We have openly accepted all donations out of everyone's

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_2998448