Estate of Wong

Hallisey & Johnson and Jeremiah F. Hallisey for Contestants and Appellants.

McManis, Faulkner & Morgan, James McManis, William Faulkner and Lisa Herrick for Petitioner and Respondent.

OPINION

WUNDERLICH, J.

In this case we review the trial court's decision that a document containing eight words, seven of them proper names and an appellation, constituted a holographic will.

Tai-Kin Wong (Tai) was a successful 44-year-old businessman who until just before death had a history of good health. He was living with his girlfriend Xi Zhao (Xi), and he enjoyed a close and loving relationship with his large family. On New Year's Eve in 1992, he took ill and died in a hospital emergency room of unexplained causes. Sometime after his death, found in his office was a sealed envelope, decorated with stickers and containing a handwritten note which read "All Tai-Kin Wong's → Xi Zhao, my best half TKW 12-31-92." This document — containing no subject, no verb, no description of property, and no indication of its subject matter or purpose — was found by the trial court to be a holographic will, passing Tai's entire estate to Xi. Tai's father, Kok-Cheong Wong (appellant) [1] brought this appeal.…