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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style='color:#1F497D'>Having prepared one (1) small estate affidavit and having carefully read the statute at that time, I believe the confusion lies in knowing what, exactly, your client is claiming.<o:p></o:p></span></a></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>If, on the one hand, your client is claiming only that portion of the account to which he has a personal right of ownership, he must simply give notice to the other potential claimants before doing so. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>If, on the other hand, he wishes to claim any portion of the account that rightfully belongs to a different claiming successor, he must have the written authority of that other successor in order to take possession of that successor’s portion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The result is that any claiming successor who doesn’t give written authority to your client will have to do his/her own small estate affidavit to claim his/her own portion of the account.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I hope it all works out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Sara<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:#1F497D'><img width=60 height=74 id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D03027.481BE5B0" alt=logo-mini><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:#1F497D'>Sara D. Longley, J.D., LL.M.</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:#1F497D'>Attorney at Law<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:#1F497D'>1718 NW 56<sup>th</sup> Street #304<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:#1F497D'>Seattle, WA 98107</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="tel:%28206%29%20434-5644" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none'>(206) 434-5644</span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:Sara@Longley-law.pro"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif'>Sara@Longley-law.pro</span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.longley-law.pro/" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif'>www.longley-law.pro</span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Douglas Bratt<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 14, 2015 5:14 PM<br><b>To:</b> wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com<br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Small Estate Affidavit (RCW 11.62.010)<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello Fellow List-Serv Colleagues:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am dealing with a client, named to be PR in his Decedent mother’s Will, related to a relatively small investment account, in the sole name of the Decedent mother, maintained at a brokerage company whose main office is outside the State of Washington (but which has branch offices located in this State). The small size of the investment account mirrors the small size of the entire probate estate, putting the probate estate value at well under $100,000.00. We were finally able to convince the brokerage house that the Washington Small Estates Affidavit method should suffice as opposed to the company’s earlier insistence that we automatically had to produce “Letters.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So, when I turned to RCW 11.62.010 (2), it struck me that subsections (h) and (i) are at variance one with the other. According to (h), the “Claiming Successor” is to give ten days’ notice to all of the “other successors” that we are going to placing the claim with the brokerage company, for the investment account contents, as a Claiming Successor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>However, subsection (i) requires that we include in the Affidavit a statement that we have written authority from “all other successors who have an interest” in the property the claiming successor wants to obtain, for the benefit of himself and the other “takers” under the Will. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>What happens if one of those “takers” has a free flowing life-style and is not often available, on short notice, and might not even receive the ten day notice because of frequent moves, and, thus, will certainly not be available to sign “written authority.” It appears that that would leave us out in the cold, since the Claiming Successor client could not swear that he has written authority from all of the other successors. Why require a ten day notice period if nothing occurs if one of the “other successors” does not respond to the notice? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>That leads me to think that each of the four separate “takers” under the will might have to be a “claiming successor” as to a one-quarter interest in the investment account, but if all four people have to jump through those hoops, the total cost might easily match the costs of a “shell probate,” filed for the sole purpose of obtaining Letters Testamentary.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Have I missed something in my reading of the statute?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And, why is it that the smallest, seemingly insignificant, assets in an Estate take much longer, and much more money, to deal with than any other assets?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Doug Bratt<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy"'>Douglas J. Bratt</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy"'>Lawyer</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><img border=0 width=176 height=179 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D03026.037C6980" alt="Envelope scaled Foster"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Office: (360) 213-2040 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> Fax: (360) 213-2030<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message may contain confidential or privileged information. If you have received this message by mistake, please do not review, disclose, copy, or distribute the email. Instead, please notify us immediately by replying to this message or telephoning us. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>NOTE:</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>I do not use encrypted email. Messages sent to or from my office via email are not secure and may not be protected by attorney-client privilege. This email address is not monitored at all times. 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Please contact us if you have any questions about Circular 230 or would like to discuss our preparation of an opinion that conforms to these IRS rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>