TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung District Court on Wednesday ruled that the marriage between a man and a high school boy with a NT$500 million (US$16.41 million) inheritance was invalid.
The mother of the deceased high school student surnamed Lai (賴) filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate his same-sex marriage with a man surnamed Hsia (夏), per CNA. If the ruling stands, Hsia will likely lose his claim to Lai's real estate holdings.
Taichung District Court found no evidence of mutual affection between Lai and Hsia before their marriage registration. On the day of registration, their interactions appeared distant and unfamiliar, with no signs of intimacy.
Even at the household registration office, the two showed none of the joy typically seen in newlyweds. This further supported the conclusion that they did not intend to form an intimate, exclusive, lifelong union.
The two witnesses who signed the marriage certificate had neither seen nor heard Lai express any intent to marry. As a result, they were not considered qualified witnesses, and their signatures did not fulfill the requirement under Article 4 of the Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748, which calls for at least two valid witnesses.
Citing these findings, the court granted Lai’s mother’s petition and declared the marriage invalid under Article 2 of the same act. The ruling is not final and may still be appealed.
Hsu Che-wei (許哲維), the attorney representing Lai’s mother, previously told CNA that if the ruling is upheld, Hsia would retroactively lose his spousal status. Under the Civil Code, he would no longer be considered a legal heir and would forfeit all inheritance rights.
The case drew widespread attention due to the value of the assets involved. Lai had just turned 18 when his biological father gifted him 30 properties before passing away in April 2023. The funeral was held on May 3.
The following day, Lai and Hsia, whose father was a land administration agent and managed the property transfer, went out together. Just two hours after registering their marriage, Lai fell to his death from Hsia’s residence.
In the criminal case, Hsia was indicted for document forgery by Taichung prosecutors and sentenced to one year and six months in prison. The verdict was upheld on appeal, and he began serving his sentence in February.
Hsia was not indicted for murder, but after Lai’s family appealed, the Taichung High Prosecutors Office ordered further investigation. In May, prosecutors again declined to press charges, prompting the family to request another review.
