TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A court annulled the death certificate for a man who disappeared for 23 years but was found alive last year, reports said Saturday.

The man left his home in Changhua in January 2001, presumably because he was unable to pay his debts, per CNA. Following the required waiting period of seven years, a court issued a death certificate for him in January 2008 at the request of his daughter.

However, he caught the attention of police when he sought medical treatment in Tamsui, New Taipei, in February last year, and was transferred to a care home in Changhua. The investigation led police to believe he was the missing man.

They received confirmation when comparing the details of their findings with his wife. As a result, they requested a court annul his death certificate.

The man told police he ran away to evade debt. Over the years, he had taken on small repair jobs at temples and mostly spent the nights there.

The Changhua District Court compared his statements to information officially available or obtained from his relatives. The court concluded he was the missing man and approved the cancellation of his death certificate.