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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'>Look at Estate of Wegner, 157 Wn. App. 554 (2010). This dealt with imposition of administrative costs against the decedent’s joint interest in real property. I know it does not involve DSHS or the WAC but a properly filed DSHS claim is no different then any other creditor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'>Jeff Davis<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><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><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Forrest Carlson<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 3, 2017 12:26 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Estate Recovery against Joint Tenancy Interest from before July 2005<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Although nobody responded to this, I discovered an answer and will share it with the list for posterity:<br><br>I put in a call to the Estate Recovery department at the Office of Financial Recovery of DSHS. The representative told me that DSHS's position on WAC 182-527-2746(4)(c) is that DSHS will make no effort to recover Medicaid payments against property that was held by the decedent at the time of death as JTWROS if the joint tenancy had existed continuously since before July 1, 2005. This is true even if the estate is otherwise insolvent (as one would expect it to be in a Medicaid recovery scenario), which means DSHS will not pursue the JTWROS asset in its capacity as an unsecured creditor -- at least, according to the representative I talked to.<br><br>I have been unable to find any case, ruling, or even discussion on this specific question in any of the state deskbooks or practice materials.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>Forrest Carlson<br>Assemble Law Group, PLLC<br><a href="https://www.assemblelaw.com">www.assemblelaw.com</a><br>(206) 631-9575 <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On 3/30/2017 2:07 PM, Forrest Carlson wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings list mates,<br><br>Can any of you provide any guidance on this estate recovery scenario?<br><br>The hypothetical elderly, unmarried client (HC) has qualified for and is receiving Medicaid benefits that will subject her estate to estate recovery. HC's home is an exempt asset held as JTWROS with her adult son. Importantly (or perhaps not), HC acquired the interest in the home several decades ago (long before the critical date of July 1, 2005). Assume the son is not a caregiver, blind, disabled, or otherwise eligible to receive the home by inter vivos gift without risking Medicaid ineligibility. Other than the home, HC's estate is expected to have no assets having more than nominal value.<br><br>I understand the general rule is that DSHS can use a lien to recover against nonprobate assets, including JTWROS property. However, WAC 182-527-2746(4)(c) says that the agency "may not enforce a lien" against JTWROS property if the decedent's right in the property vested before July 1, 2005. This looks like a blanket prohibition against enforcing a lien against the property HC will have held JTWROS.<br><br>Is this a complete bar to DSHS's recovery against the JTWROS property, or does it simply mean that DSHS's claim against the estate is unsecured? I have too little experience to know whether DSHS's authority to recover Medicaid payments is limited to enforcing liens or whether it could simply treat the debt like any other unsecured creditor's claim against the estate.<br><br>Thank you for any guidance.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>Forrest Carlson<br>Assemble Law Group, PLLC<br><a href="https://www.assemblelaw.com">www.assemblelaw.com</a><br>(206) 631-9575 <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>WSBAPT mailing list<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="mailto:WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com">WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="http://mailman.fsr.com/mailman/listinfo/wsbapt">http://mailman.fsr.com/mailman/listinfo/wsbapt</a><o:p></o:p></pre></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>