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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Amy:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>I sent you an email off the list.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Jane.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></a></p><span style='mso-bookmark:_MailEndCompose'></span><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Amy Goertz<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 21, 2017 9:11 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Widow's Credit Card Debt Extinguishable?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt'>Good morning, </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt'>I am working on a pro bono matter for a widow in her early seventies whose husband of 50+ years has left her in a terrible financial pickle when he passed away in August 2014. She discovered he had racked up all the credit cards, taken a reverse mortgage, and squeezed the equity out of anything and everything. She had been making payments on the credit cards out of her Social Security since his death. We started probate in September 2016 and sent Notices to all the credit cards indicating that the time for filing claims had passed. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt'>One credit card in particular, through Wells Fargo, was issued in the widow’s name, even though it is my understanding that the decedent had a card with his name on it on which most of the charges were made. Wells Fargo has indicated that they intend to pursue the debt against the widow since the credit was issued in her name.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt'>Would you think it would be helpful to do a Homestead Award and have the court award her whatever equity is left in the community estate? Any advice and/or forms to get me started would be much appreciated, especially since I’m not being paid and I would hate to have to reinvent the wheel!</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt'>Thanks in advance -</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt'>Amy </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy",serif;color:black'><br>Amy J. Goertz, J.D.</span></i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy",serif;color:black'>Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC</span></i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="mailto:brucejlambrecht@icloud.com">amyjgoertz@icloud.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>1.888.926.2607 phone<br>1.877.684.1627 fax<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>Address for correspondence:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>2829 S. Grand Blvd., Suite 303<br>Spokane, WA 99203 <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>Additional office locations:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>510 Bell Street<br>Edmonds, WA 98020<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>7418 East Helm Drive<br>Scottsdale, AZ 85260<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>Lambrecht Dispute Resolution LLC<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="http://www.goertzlambrecht.com/">www.goertzlambrecht.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="http://www.lambrechtdisputeresolution.com/">www.lambrechtdisputeresolution.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>