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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Thanks, Eric. Very helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<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>
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<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
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">From: </span></b><span style="color:black"><wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> on behalf of Eric Nelsen <Eric@sayrelawoffices.com><br>
<b>Reply-To: </b>WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Date: </b>Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at 9:45 AM<br>
<b>To: </b>WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [WSBAPT] Disposition of Estate per Poorly Written Will<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">My $0.02:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I agree, granddaughter of predeceased child S2 receives nothing.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I think "my property" just means everything, real and personal, tangible and intangible. More artful language might have been helpful, but I would call on the general rules of construction that (A) a testator
is presumed to want nothing to pass by intestacy, and (B) a will must be construed to effectuate a testator's intent and technical rules of construction should not be used to thwart intent.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">For predeceased S1 who is named in the will as a beneficiary, S1's children take his share by right of representation automatically, per
<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=11.12.110">RCW 11.12.110</a>. So 1/2 to D1, and 1/2 by right of representation to S1's issue.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Your comment about it seeming unfair that S2's granddaughter receives nothing, makes me think that you know something about decedent's relationship with her that leads you to believe the omission wasn't intentional,
but is just a bad result from a poorly written will. That is really a sad result here, but as you've described the will I don't see any alternative interpretation. Even if the will didn't mention S2 at all, I don't think the issue of S2 could argue for a share,
if the "all my property" clause specifically says that “I give my property to my children, S1 and D1, in equal shares.” That is pretty plainly limiting the scope of beneficiaries to S1 and D1 and their issue.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Without knowing anything further, I can imagine the possibility that the decedent didn't have a relationship with S2's granddaughter, and the omission might have been intended.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Sincerely,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Eric</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Eric C. Nelsen</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Sayre Law Offices, PLLC</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">1417 31st Ave South</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Seattle WA 98144-3909</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">206-625-0092</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><a href="mailto:eric@sayrelawoffices.com">eric@sayrelawoffices.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Inge Fordham<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, November 2, 2020 6:38 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Disposition of Estate per Poorly Written Will</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Colleagues,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></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.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></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. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></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?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></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.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Thank you in advance for your thoughts.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Best regards,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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