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.