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<p class="MsoNormal">John, I can relate. Before our office started recording with the Simplifile platform (which has eliminated serious headaches with the King County Recorder’s Office), I had similar experiences.
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<p class="MsoNormal">For example: one client had documents we mailed in returned directly to him, not to our office (before it was finally recorded, about 4 times, each for a different issue not brought up in the previous return). Needless to say, the client
blamed us for this and had to pay a late fee for recording because he did owe excise tax.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I can’t answer your question about DOR, but can say that the King County Recorder’s Office does seem to take a semi-sadistic pleasure in returning documents for almost incomprehensible reasons.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Candace Wilkerson<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>*Candace is available to respond to emails and phone calls between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If you have an urgent matter outside that time period, please call our office at the number below.<o:p></o:p></i></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Top Ranked Law Firm for 2015 by Fortune Magazine and American Lawyer Media</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Candace Wilkerson<b> |</b> Senior Associate</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:red"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#484848">|
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Wong Fleming </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">9840 Willows Road NE, Suite 200
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#484848">| </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#484848"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Redmond, WA 98052</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#484848"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Phone: 425.869.4040 </span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#484848">|</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#484848">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Fax: 425.869.4050 <br>
</span><a href="mailto:cwilkerson@wongfleming.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">cwilkerson@wongfleming.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>JOHN J SULLIVAN<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 9, 2023 6:05 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com>; wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] REET Roulette?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Listmates:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Please indulge this vent.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">I received a call from a client this morning. A quitclaim/REET package I had mailed to the King County Recorder in mid-January was returned directly to the
client, not me, including the check for the recording/processing fee drawn on my firm account. I haven't seen the bounce form yet, but the client told me the reason was I had used a REET form that was outdated. <br>
<br>
So before returning the call I check out the situation. This was a standard conveyance of a home in Seattle into a revocable trust by a married couple, exempt under WAC 458-61A-211(2)(g). I emailed the deed and REET form to the clients in early October 2022
using the form effective at the time, issued for transactions after July 1, 2022. For reasons I do not recall, the client did not execute them until January 3, 2023. I mailed in the package with the proper fee on January 12th and a cover letter requesting
the original deed be returned to me. (Are we able to walk deeds in yet, to the new offices, or is it still April 2020 at King County?) It bounced recently and was forwarded from my clients' home in Seattle to their winter place in Palm Desert, CA. <br>
<br>
So, when I go out to the DOR webpage with REET forms, I find this: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333"><a href="https://url.emailprotection.link/?bkgPiPRCalQ1KwO1R2gQ_ayxgvjfW2A11qIrJA4mKmqfc5JsdIZ74genGe_i4z3W5rP02eFNl42k6Sgvi2yX4NZYqDXGmDp2Y43tqxKAeGINb7ZhuQW2axp40xBYKri--">Real
estate excise tax forms | Washington Department of Revenue</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Can anyone explain to me why the DOR has issued four REET forms since the July 1, 2022 edition? I compared the five forms, including
the one I used issued for transactions after July 1, 2022. They are identical. I compared the local rates for Seattle. They are unchanged. Why is the DOR doing this, and why does it even matter on a conveyance that is exempt? Further, why for the first time
does the King County Recorder bypass me and bounce it directly to my clients? If this was a conveyance with consideration on which tax was owing maybe, just maybe, they were hoping that the clients (or their asleep at the wheel attorney) would re-submit the
January deed with a January REET form now, in March, creating a pretext for imposing interest and penalties. But this is an exempt transaction.<br>
<br>
Venting completed. Thank you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Best regards</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">,
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">John J. Sullivan
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Attorney
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Lyons | Sullivan
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">Bellevue, WA 98004
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#333333">425·451·2400 tel 425-451-7385 fax
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