<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=koi8-r">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:PMingLiU;
panose-1:2 1 6 1 0 1 1 1 1 1;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"\@PMingLiU";
panose-1:2 1 6 1 0 1 1 1 1 1;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-TW;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:ZH-TW;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1214345019;
mso-list-template-ids:66323248;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:2;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1690259146;
mso-list-template-ids:-742084744;}
@list l2
{mso-list-id:1862469954;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-255822676 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l2:level1
{mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level2
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level3
{mso-level-number-format:roman-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:right;
text-indent:-9.0pt;}
@list l2:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level5
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level6
{mso-level-number-format:roman-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:right;
text-indent:-9.0pt;}
@list l2:level7
{mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level8
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level9
{mso-level-number-format:roman-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:right;
text-indent:-9.0pt;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:red;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Let me take a stab at this… see my response in red:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><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 <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Jennifer Gellner<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 17, 2020 1:15 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Contentious Heirs<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Hi All:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">I have two cases where my PR’s and I are dealing with contentious heirs. Does anyone know of a good resource for helping me help my PR’s deal with problem heirs?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Heir is in jail, dad’s will disinherited him, but mom’s intestate estate was never probated and she had some separate property when she passed in 2007.
Heir in jail is unlikely to agree to the percentage of the house sale proceeds that we think is his share based on community and separate property and mom’s intestacy. Do we just proceed with the probate and he will receive a check and the notice of declaration
of completion of probate and once the 30 days pass, it is done? Heir is back in jail because he punched the other heir and was arrested (PR is family friend as two heirs are felons).
<span style="color:red">Treat the jailed heir as you would any other heir who is not represented by counsel. You have to provide notice of the decl of completion so make sure you give notice, whether in jail or otherwise. Then, tickle for 30 days and if no
objection, close and distribute. One word of caution, distribution will be made to the heir at his last known address with a receipt to be filed with the court. If it were me, I would send the receipt to him in jail and ask that it be signed along with instructions
on where to send the check. He may be a bad person for assaulting others but he is entitled to his share of the estate. I had a beneficiary serving 40 years to life and it was tricky but the court allowed him on the telephone conference (before COVID) with
me in open court. Extra steps were taken in distribution and eventually, the monies went to the beneficiary’s son in Arizona on behalf of the father.</span></span><o:p></o:p></li></ol>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="2" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Heir is on SSI and/or SSDI in another state and homeless. I sent a letter to his email advising him that he needs to make arrangements before we distribute
(he wants money now!) so his benefits will not be impacted and he threatened that he will press charges if I ever contacted him again (obviously I don’t think that would be successful, but ideally we can handle this in the best way possible). Do we just proceed
and send him a check and the notice – do we involve the Court requesting instruction even though we have nonintervention powers? Two brother heirs are harassing sister PR.
<span style="color:red">You might approach the court with a motion for instructions as to the SSDI/SSI heir. The court may appoint a GAL or may not. That way, you will have an order how to move forward with the distribution. I had a similar situation with
an heir who was not cooperating with me as the PR of the mother’s estate and did a motion for instructions which the court issued an order instructing me to move forward. If the heir is incapacitated, the PR should not distribute w/o first asking the court
for instructions.</span></span><o:p></o:p></li></ol>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Any help is greatly appreciated.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jennifer A. Gellner, LL.M. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Principal, Gellner Law Group<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">P: (425) 235-5535 Toll-Free: (877) 252-0738<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: <a href="mailto:jennifer@gellnerlawgroup.com">jennifer@gellnerlawgroup.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">8407 S. 259th St. Suite 203, Kent, WA 98030<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">505 W. Riverside Ave., Suite 500, Spokane, WA 99201<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, may be protected by attorney-client privilege, the work product doctrine or other applicable legal protections. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this
message in error, please notify the sender and promptly delete the message. Thank you for your cooperation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CLIENT ADVISORY: A spam filter is in use in our IT system. If you have not received a reply to an e-mail message within 48 hours, please call or leave a voice message for me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>