Siblings cleared in NT$16 million inheritance dispute

A woman's legal battle against her siblings over her late father's retirement savings has concluded with a court ruling in favor of the siblings. The woman had accused them of illegally siphoning off approximately 16.85 million New Taiwan dollars (NT$) from their father's bank accounts over a five-year period.

The plaintiff claimed that her father, who lived with one of the siblings, had his savings depleted through transfers and withdrawals, amounting to 9.4 million NT$ transferred to a sibling's account and 2.05 million NT$ withdrawn over the counter, with an additional 5.04 million NT$ withdrawn via ATM. She sought the return of her share, over 4.28 million NT$.

However, the Hsinchu District Court dismissed the case, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. The court found that the woman could not prove that her siblings had misappropriated or stolen the funds. The defense argued that the father, aged 94, was mentally and physically capable of managing his own finances, including cycling, visiting the city, and attending medical appointments independently.

The court also considered that the father had previously gifted substantial amounts to various relatives and that the funds could have been used for the living expenses of the household, which included six people. Crucially, bank surveillance footage was no longer available due to the expiration of its retention period, making it impossible to definitively determine who operated the accounts or authorized the transactions. The court concluded that the reduction in the father's account balance, coupled with the sibling living with him, was insufficient to prove wrongdoing.