<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@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:Times;
panose-1:0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I have a probate involving a poorly written last will and testament (created without assistance of counsel). It names a son and daughter as co-personal representatives. The will says nothing about what happens
if one of the co-personal representatives predeceases the testatrix. Here, the son predeceased the testatrix and therefore, the daughter will serve as the sole personal representative.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">My primary question has to do with the disposition of property. The testatrix initially had 3 children. I’ll call them S1, S2, and D1. S2 died decades ago and left a granddaughter. A prior version of the
will left S2’s share of the estate to the granddaughter. The later, operative will identifies S2 (and recognizes that he predeceased the testatrix) but leaves nothing for the granddaughter. Since the will names him but leaves nothing to his issue, I believe
S2’s daughter gets nothing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">As to the disposition of property, the will simply states: “I give my property to my children, S1 and D1, in equal shares.” It says nothing about real versus personal property or intangible assets. Is the
term “my property” sufficient to cover real property and intangible assets?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The will does not say what happens when a beneficiary predeceases the testatrix. For example, it does not say “my children who survive me” or “per stirpes.” Subsequently, S1 predeceased the testatrix. How
is the personal representative to treat this? Does everything go to D1? Or ½ to D1 and 1/6 to each of S1’s 3 children? The latter seems patently unfair given that S2’s daughter takes nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Thank you in advance for your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="60" valign="top" style="width:45.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times;color:black"><img width="96" height="95" style="width:1.0in;height:.9895in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D6B147.3B4DD800" alt="uc%3fexport=download&id=1W3rEcChy0_E0cCfV5up02mkhwnL6eWIs&revid=0B4P5JoIHdbFaR29EbHlRWHFseFV5STZpSUVGeUNPWldkVDFVPQ"></span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="570" valign="top" style="width:427.25pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:3.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#203864">Inge A. Fordham | Attorney</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Fordham Law, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">3218 Sixth Avenue | Tacoma, WA 98406<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Office: (253) 348-2657 | Mobile: (206) 778-3131<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"><a href="http://www.fordhamlegal.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.fordhamlegal.com</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#7D888E">Confidential Communication:</span></b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#7D888E"> This email is sent to a recipient on behalf of an
attorney/law firm, and is information intended exclusively for the individual, entity or company to which it is sent. This communication may contain proprietary, privileged or confidential information or may otherwise be legally exempt from disclosure other
than to the intended recipient. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or otherwise disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately
by email or other communication and delete all copies of the message.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>