[WSBAPT] Notice of Rejection of Creditor's claim is not personally served or served by certified mail, not valid

Fri May 22 09:59:25 PDT 2026

Would the answers change in the following scenario?

Notice to Creditors was published and also mailed to an individual potential creditor (PC).  PC sent Estate counsel copies of checks that she says she wrote on behalf of the Decedent.  PC did not make any explicit request that she be reimbursed for any of the checks.  PC did not file a creditor claim with the Court.  PR acknowledges it would be appropriate for PC to be reimbursed for some but not all of the checks and writes a letter to PC to that effect.  PC has not responded to PR's letter.

Would a formal rejection still be required here?

Mark B. Anderson
ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC
821 Dock Street, Suite 209, PMB 4-12
Tacoma, Washington 98402
+1 253-327-1750
+1 253-327-1751 (fax)
marka at mbaesq.com<mailto:marka at mbaesq.com>
www.mbaesq.com<http://www.mbaesq.com/>
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This transmission is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the individual named recipient. It may be protected by the attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine, or other confidentiality protection. If you are not the intended recipient, or the person responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, be advised that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender via e-mail or by telephone at (253) 327-1750 that you have received the message in error, and then delete it. Thank you.

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> On Behalf Of Dalynne Singleton
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2026 6:43 AM
To: ak at seattle-silvalaw.com; WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: [WSBAPT] Notice of Rejection of Creditor's claim is not personally served or served by certified mail, not valid

Simple answer is No – the rejection of the claim is not valid if it is served by some method other than personal service or certified mail (unless the defect is waived or cured). The statute is explicit and typically strictly applied because it triggers a short 30‑day limitations period.  See RCW 11.40.100(1) which provides:  “The personal representative shall notify the claimant of the rejection by personal service or certified mail addressed to the claimant… The date of service or of the postmark is the date of notification.”  The court treats this notice provision as strictly tied to cutting off the creditor’s rights:  The 30‑day statute of limitations does not run unless proper statutory notice is given.  If service is defective (e.g., regular mail, email, or service on the wrong person), the rejection is generally ineffective to start the 30‑day clock.

The rejection notice requires notice of the 30‑day deadline to sue, or the claim “is forever barred” language.  See Marquam v. Ellis, 27 Wn. App. 41 (1980) which holds that rejection notice must be sent to the claimant (not just the attorney).  Commonly cited for strict compliance with notice requirements in this context.
Dalynne Singleton
Dalynne Singleton
Gourley Law Group
Snohomish Escrow/The Exchange Connection
1002 10th Street / PO Box 1091
Snohomish, WA 98291
360.568.5065
360.568.8092  fax
dalynne at glgmail.com<mailto:dalynne at glgmail.com>  Website:  www.glglawgroup.com<http://www.glglawgroup.com/>
Attorney/client meetings will be handled virtually whenever possible.  If you would like to set a consultation, please call/email one my paralegals Valerie valerie at glgmail.com<mailto:valerie at glgmail.com>, Erica erica at glgmail.com<mailto:erica at glgmail.com>, Bill bill at glgmail.com<mailto:bill at glgmail.com> or part time paralegal Theresa theresa at glgmail.com<mailto:theresa at glgmail.com>.  Co-counsels at GLG are Attorney Carrie Ulrich (carrie at glgmail.com<mailto:carrie at glgmail.com> ), Spencer Clower (spencer at glgmail.com<mailto:spencer at glgmail.com>) and Candace Wilkerson (candace at glgmail.com<mailto:candace at glgmail.com>).  Litigation paralegal is Daina Gray (daina at glgmail.com<mailto:daina at glgmail.com>).
LICENSED IN WASHINGTON. IMPORTANT/CONFIDENTIAL: This e-mail message (and any attachments accompanying it) may contain confidential information, including information protected by attorney-client privilege. The information is intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s).  Delivery of this message to anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is not intended to waive any privilege or otherwise detract from the confidentiality of the message.  If you are not the intended recipient, or if this message has been addressed to you in error, do not read, disclose, reproduce, distribute, disseminate or otherwise use this transmission, rather, please promptly notify the sender by reply e-mail, and then destroy all copies of the message and its attachments, if any.
[cid:image001.gif at 01DCE9D0.FDF19690]   [cid:image002.png at 01DCE9D0.FDF19690]    [cid:image003.png at 01DCE9D0.FDF19690] [cid:image004.png at 01DCE9D0.FDF19690]

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com>> On Behalf Of Andrekita Silva
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 11:50 PM
To: WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com>>
Subject: [WSBAPT] If a Notice of Rejection of Creditor's claim is not personally served or served by certified mail, is it valid?

Law Office of F. Andrekita Silva
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

May 20, 2026

List serve,

If a Notice of Rejection of Creditor's claim is not personally served or served by certified mail, is it valid?

It was filed with the court and served within 20 days, but only sent by regular U.S. Mail.

Andrekita Silva
Law Office of F. Andrekita Silva
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 940
Seattle, Washington 98101-2509
206-224-8288
ak at seattle-silvalaw.com<mailto:ak at seattle-silvalaw.com>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260522/701f516c/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 3474 bytes
Desc: image001.gif
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260522/701f516c/image001.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 5410 bytes
Desc: image002.png
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260522/701f516c/image002.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 8037 bytes
Desc: image003.png
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260522/701f516c/image003.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image004.png
Type: image/png
Size: 18528 bytes
Desc: image004.png
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/wsbapt/attachments/20260522/701f516c/image004.png>