Marriage of 102-year-old sparks Taiwan dispute over 200 million baht in assets

2026-02-08 - 04:56

TAIPEI — 7 February 2026 The family of a 102-year-old Taiwanese man has raised legal challenges after discovering that his 68-year-old long-time caregiver registered a marriage with him without their prior knowledge, in a dispute now linked to assets valued at nearly 200 million Taiwanese dollars (roughly 196 million baht). According to local reports, the family first became aware of the marriage when they saw a new spouse entry on the elderly man’s identification card. The caregiver, surnamed Lai, had reportedly cared for him for at least 17 years and possibly up to 27–30 years before the dispute emerged. The marriage was registered on 5 January, and relatives said they were planning to visit the man on 8 January when they were shocked to learn of the union three days earlier. The family alleges Lai sought to gain access to the man’s substantial property holdings and restricted his contact with relatives, at times amounting to what they described as de facto confinement. Tensions escalated on 3 February at a hospital in Taipei when several of the man’s sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren sought to take him home during a medical visit; a physical struggle involving police intervention reportedly occurred before the family later succeeded in returning him to their residence. The dispute has also played out publicly, with video footage shared by Taiwanese media showing a confrontation at a Taipei hospital, where the man’s sons and other relatives sought to remove him from the care of his wife. Police officers were present during the incident, which later became part of competing legal claims filed by both sides.  The man, surnamed Wang, is reported to have accumulated significant land and real estate during his lifetime, with total holdings estimated at 780 million Taiwanese dollars (around 760 million baht). The family contends that after the marriage Lai came to control seven properties and life insurance policies valued at about 80 million Taiwanese dollars (roughly 78 million baht), bringing the total disputed assets to more than 200 million Taiwanese dollars. Wang’s sons have cited a medical certificate asserting that their father’s cognitive ability had significantly declined, and they plan to gather further evidence to petition the court to annul the marriage. In contrast, Taipei’s Zhongshan household registration office stated that Wang was able to answer questions during the registration process and met legal requirements. Lai has filed a countersuit against the family alleging public defamation and has sought a protective order. The validity of the marriage and associated asset claims will ultimately be decided by the courts. Source: Mothership.sg Photo credit: ETtoday