EXHIBIT 23.2

                 NOTICE REGARDING CONSENT OF ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

         Section  11(a)  of  the   Securities  Act  of  1933,  as  amended  (the
"Securities Act"), provides that if any part of a registration  statement at the
time such part becomes effective contains an untrue statement of a material fact
or an  omission  to state a  material  fact  required  to be stated  therein  or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,  any person acquiring a
security  pursuant to such  registration  statement (unless it is proved that at
the time of such  acquisition  such person knew of such untruth or omission) may
sue,  among  others,  every  accountant  who has consented to be named as having
prepared  or  certified  any part of the  registration  statement,  or as having
prepared or certified any report or valuation  which is used in connection  with
the registration  statement,  with respect to the statement in such registration
statement, report or valuation which purports to have been prepared or certified
by the accountant.

         This Form 10-K is incorporated  by reference into SonomaWest  Holdings,
Inc.'s (the "Company")  Registration  Statements on Form S-8 Nos.  033-70870 and
333-84295  (collectively,  the  "Registration  Statement")  and, for purposes of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act,  is deemed to be a new
registration  statement  for  each  Registration  Statement  into  which  it  is
incorporated by reference.

         On July 10,  2002,  the Company  dismissed  Arthur  Andersen LLP as its
independent auditor and appointed Grant Thornton LLP to replace Arthur Andersen.
Arthur  Andersen is no longer  providing  consents to its former  clients.  As a
result,  the Company has been unable to obtain Arthur Andersen's written consent
to the  incorporation by reference into the Registration  Statement of its audit
report with respect to the  Company's  financial  statements as of June 30, 2001
and for the years ended June 30, 2001 and 2000. Under these circumstances,  Rule
437a under the Securities Act permits the Company to file this Form 10-K without
a written consent from Arthur Andersen.  As a result,  however,  Arthur Andersen
will not have any liability  under Section 11(a) of the  Securities  Act for any
untrue  statements  of a material  fact  contained in the  financial  statements
audited by Arthur  Andersen or any  omissions of a material  fact required to be
stated  therein.  Accordingly,  you would be  unable  to assert a claim  against
Arthur  Andersen  under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act for any purchases of
securities under the  Registration  Statements made on or after the date of this
Form 10-K. To the extent provided in Section  11(b)(3)(C) of the Securities Act,
however, other persons who are liable under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act,
including  the  Company's  officers  and  directors,  may  still  rely on Arthur
Andersen's  original  audit  reports as being made by an expert for  purposes of
establishing a due diligence defense under Section 11(b) of the Securities Act.