<div dir="ltr">Thank you for that quality parsing. That helps a lot.</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">Best,</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">David J. Faber</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">Faber Feinson PLLC</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">210 Polk Street, Suite 1</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">Port Townsend, WA 98368<br>(360) 379-4110</div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><span style="font-family:Helvetica">*** NOTICE: ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION - PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL. This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or believe that you have received this communication in error, please do not print, copy, retransmit, disseminate, or otherwise use the information. Also, please indicate to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and destroy the copy you received.***</span></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, May 25, 2018 at 12:54 PM, Eric Nelsen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Eric@sayrelawoffices.com" target="_blank">Eric@sayrelawoffices.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">I would argue that the subject of the sentence is a "gift made by the testator under a will." So the final clause has to be read with reference to that gift,
and that testator, and cannot be interpreted to mean the heirs of deceased beneficiary. The only references to the person
<u>receiving</u> the gift are as descriptors of the gift, and are grammatically separated from that final clause in a way that makes it more or less impossible for them to be linked.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Also, the phrase "lapses and falls into the residue" necessarily means a lapse of the gift going to the "person" and logically must mean that references to
"the residue" (whether distributed by will or intestate succession) must mean the residue of the testator's estate, not the "person" beneficiary's estate.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">This is by no means precise diagramming, but I'd read the statute as follows:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">If
<b>a will</b> [of <b>a testator</b>] makes <b>a gift</b><u></u><u></u></span></p><span class="">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> to a person on the condition that the person survive the testator<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> and the person does not survive the testator,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">then, unless otherwise provided,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">the gift</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">
<u>lapses and falls into</u><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> the residue of the estate [of the testator]<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> <wbr> [and that residue is] to be distributed [either]<u></u><u></u></span></p><span class="">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> <wbr> under the residuary clause of the will, if any,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"> <wbr> but otherwise according to the laws of descent and distribution.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Sincerely,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Eric<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Eric C. Nelsen<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">1417 31st Ave South<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Seattle WA 98144-3909<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">phone 206-625-0092<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">fax 206-625-9040<u></u><u></u></span></p><span class="">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.<wbr>com</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.<wbr>wsbarppt.com</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>David Faber<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, May 25, 2018 11:59 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Lapsed Gift?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I'm working a probate with a Will that leaves all household goods in a specific bequest to a person who predeceased the decedent by three months. The Will does not condition the gift on the specific gift recipient's survivorship. <u></u><u></u></p><div><div class="h5">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">To review the implications of this gift, I went to the WSBA probate deskbook first, which makes the assertion that "Unless otherwise provided under the terms of the will, the devise or bequest shall lapse if the devisee or legatee fails
to survive the testator" then cites to RCW 11.12.120. <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">When I review RCW 11.12.120, the plain language appears to be ambiguous by providing for a potential diametrically-opposite interpretation. Here's the language of 11.12.120: <u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
"If a will makes a gift to a person on the condition that the person survive the testator and the person does not survive the testator, then, unless otherwise provided, the gift lapses and falls into the residue of the estate to be distributed under the residuary
clause of the will, if any, but <b>otherwise according to the laws of descent and distribution</b>."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Here, is the "otherwise according to the laws of descent and distribution" language referring to the decedent whose Will is being probated, or does it refer to the laws of descent and distribution for the predeceased specific beneficiary?
I can easily make the argument either way. The language is ambiguous and though I want to go with the interpretation provided in the deskbook, I don't feel confident that the other interpretation is clean-cut. Thoughts?<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Best,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">David J. Faber<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Faber Feinson PLLC<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">210 Polk Street, Suite 1<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Port Townsend, WA 98368<br>
(360) 379-4110<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">*** NOTICE: ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION - PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL. This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient,
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