Late Actor Duc Tien's Will Signature Disputed: Mother vs. Wife

HO CHI MINH CITY – A handwriting analysis requested by Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, the mother of the late actor Duc Tien, has concluded that the signature on his will differs from his known samples. However, his daughter-in-law asserts the signature is authentic, prolonging a dispute over his inheritance. The High People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City has publicly disclosed the signature and property appraisal results of two disputed real estate assets for the parties involved to access. According to the appraisal, the signature on the will, allegedly made by Duc Tien in the US on August 9, 2023 (stating he left all his assets to his wife, Nguyen Binh Phuong – Miss Ao Dai Dallas Binh Phuong), and the signature samples under his name on numerous documents from 2009 to 2023 are "not signed by the same person." The re-appraisal in May determined that the two real estate properties, comprising a house and land in Hiep Binh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, and a plot of land in Tay Ninh (formerly Long An), have a combined value of over VND 8.7 billion (approximately USD 340,000). These documents were prepared at the request of Ms. Anh during the High Court's proceedings to resolve the inheritance dispute left by her son. During the case, Ms. Anh petitioned the court not to recognize her son's will, arguing it is not legally valid in Vietnam. Responding to the new documents, Binh Phuong stated that her lawyer is still completing procedures, and she has not yet accessed the file. She argued that even if the conclusion states the two signatures are not from the same person, it only shows that the signature on the will differs from the sample used for comparison, not that the comparison sample is her husband's signature. The credibility of the appraisal also depends on the origin and timing of the comparison samples. Phuong asserted that the signature appraisal is only one piece of evidence for the court to consider the will's legality, and the judges must evaluate all other documents comprehensively. She affirmed that her husband's will was legally made in the US, witnessed by two individuals before a Texas-licensed notary public, and the consular legalization process at the Vietnamese Consulate General in the US was completed. Duc Tien passed away at the age of 44 in the US in May. Subsequently, his wife presented the will, indicating he bequeathed all his assets to her. Ms. Anh (Duc Tien's mother) claimed the will was invalid, leading to a dispute between the two parties. Failing to reach an agreement, Binh Phuong filed a lawsuit in March last year requesting the division of the inheritance. On October 28, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court ruled in the first instance, deeming the will made in the US as valid and legally consularized. Duc Tien's estate includes a house and land in Linh Dong Ward, Thu Duc City (now Hiep Binh), valued at VND 6.2 billion, and a plot of land in Long An (now Tay Ninh), valued at approximately VND 1 billion. The court rejected Binh Phuong's claim that the entire property was formed during the marriage, as the house was purchased before marriage and 70% of the land was paid for before the marriage registration date. As the legal guardian of her daughter, Binh Phuong was entitled to and to manage over 70% of the total estate value; the court ordered her to receive the physical assets and repay the corresponding amount to Ms. Anh. Both parties appealed the verdict. Previously, the court was scheduled to reopen the trial in April but it was postponed to conduct the requested appraisal and re-valuation. Source: VnExpress