An Atlanta developer says a roughly 736-acre tract in northwest Georgia slipped out of his grasp, and for just $1. Developer Joseph Daniell filed a 14-count complaint in May in Chattooga County Superior Court alleging fraud, civil conspiracy and a slate of related claims tied to a planned 171-home subdivision atop Little Sand Mountain. The lawsuit stretches beyond rural land records and pulls in nonprofits and individuals with international ties.
According to court filings and reporting by South China Morning Post, Daniell says he signed a letter of intent with Tim Lam on July 14, 2025 that promised him a 50% ownership stake, half the project’s future cash flow and a developer fee tied to financing. The document, attached to the complaint, also promised reimbursement for expenses and underpinned more than a year of planning, engineering coordination and budget work. Filings describe the site as a retreat and equine-assisted therapy center on Little Sand Mountain.
During what the complaint describes as a routine check of county property records, Daniell says he discovered a quitclaim deed executed Oct. 23, 2025 that shifted title from Christian Zheng Sheng Association Limited US Inc. to New Day Horizons Group Inc. for $1, with the deed recorded a week later. Those details and related filings were reviewed by CBS News Atlanta. Daniell says he was never told the transfer had occurred and that he kept working on the project in good faith…