In Sau Thi Ma v. Xuan T. Lien, 198 AD2d 186 [1993], lv dismissed 83 NY2d 847 [1994] plaintiff sued to recover payments from a winning lottery ticket, such winnings held by the defendant (id. at 186). Finding that a preliminary injunction was warranted, the court held that since it was clear that defendant intended to spend the proceeds at issue - intending to share the funds with his family - it was clear that absent a preliminary injunction, plaintiff would be irreparably harmed inasmuch as any judgment would be rendered ineffectual (id. at 186). The court in Moy, similarly held that plaintiff had demonstrated irreparable harm but for the grant of preliminary injunction. In that case, plaintiff sued to void the transfer of her ownership interest in real property on grounds that such transfer was obtained by fraud (id. at 604). In holding that plaintiff established entitlement to a preliminary injunction, the court noted that "the purpose of a preliminary injunction is to maintain the status quo and prevent the dissipation of property that could render a judgment ineffectual" (id. 604), and, thus, that absent the preliminary injunction, defendant could transfer the property thereby irreparably harming plaintiff (id.).