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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Listmates,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have a situation where I am trying to ascertain where to allocate the mortgage debt for a decedent’s separate property or on the community property share.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Relevant Facts, <o:p></o:p></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Wife owned house as separate property prior to marriage with a mortgage (equity $200K at time of marriage)<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">H and W marry (less than 5 years), House only in W name, house goes up in value ($300K Equity in a few years), W dies, no Will, she has children from prior marriage.
<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">H now claims community property interest on the $300K
<o:p></o:p></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">Question: Based on the statute below, does the mortgage get split between the separate and community interest? Or all to separate or all to community? I understand based on case law that the community property
interest will have to be reduced by the amount paid on the mortgage for the benefit of living in the home. Thanks for any advice.
<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;color:blue">RCW 11.10.030</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;color:black">.
Allocation of separate and community assets<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">(1)
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;color:black">A community debt or liability
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">is charged against the entire community property, with the<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">surviving spouse's or surviving domestic partner's half and the decedent spouse's or decedent<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">domestic partner's half charged equally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">(2)
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT;color:black">A separate debt or liability
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">is charged first against separate property, and if that is insufficient<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">against the balance of decedent's half of community property remaining after community debts and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;color:black">liabilities are satisfied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My understanding is that t<o:p></o:p></p>
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