<div dir="ltr">Thank you all for weighing in! I agree with Jennifer, we should lobby congress to create an RCW for a "community property with rights of survivorship" option. It exists in California and makes it so much easier on the survivor. Most of my WA surviving spouses look absolutely shocked that title to the home doesn't automatically pass directly to them by virtue of it being community property. <div><i style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></i></div><div><i style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><font size="4"><br></font></span></i></div><div><i style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><font size="4">Kira M. Rubel, Esq.</font></span></i><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><i><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif"><font size="2">*Licensed in CA and WA</font></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);line-height:normal"><img src="https://drive.google.com/a/theharborlawgroup.com/uc?id=1E57YB_h2v4LJLf-5LkuttKj5KjL212Bk&export=download" width="96" height="48"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;color:rgb(34,34,34);line-height:normal"><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span><br style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">8811 N. Harborview Dr. Ste. B</span><br style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Gig Harbor, WA 98332-2174</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span><br style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Tel. (253) 358-2215</span></font><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><font color="#1155cc" face="georgia, serif"><u><a href="https://theharborlawgroup.com/" target="_blank">https://theharborlawgroup.com/</a></u></font><br></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;line-height:8.5pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt"><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">The information transmitted
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<p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></p></div></div></div></div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 3:58 PM Doug Schafer <<a href="mailto:schafer@pobox.com">schafer@pobox.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">My recollection, from
decades ago, is that deeds to married couples generally included
"husband and wife" after their names, and that such verbiage
indicated that the property was considered their community
property. And at the death of the first spouse, generally no
affidavits were then prepared or recorded if the surviving spouse
intended to continue residing in, or at least owning, the property
(whether or not the couple ever had signed or recorded a community
property agreement). At such time as the surviving spouse died or
chose to sell the property, that spouse or an executor then would
provide a title insurance company whatever assurances that company
requested (for its internal files) in order to insure the buyer's
title.<br>
<br>
I don't recall ever preparing or recording a Lack of Probate
Affidavit for a surviving spouse, nor am I aware of any statute or
case law requiring such. I viewed lawyers who routinely prepared
such affidavits at a first-spouse's death as simply doing so to
generate fees. Practices appear to have changed over the decades.<br>
<br>
Doug Schafer, WSBA 8652 (admitted 1978)<br>
</font><br>
<br>
<div>On 5/4/2023 14:40, Eric Nelsen wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">I agree, JTWROS works, but I generally
avoid it as an EP mechanism because JTWROS is such a fragile
state of title. Even some off-public-record events can be
enough to sever the right of survivorship, if I remember
correctly. And certainly it’s unilaterally severable by
executing a quitclaim deed from “X to X, to hold as tenant in
common and sever right of survivorship.” In contract, a
Community Property Agreement is contractual and not
unilaterally terminable, and can also apply to all property
instead of just one particular parcel of real estate. If the
parties sell and buy a new property, the CPA will cover the
new property but otherwise they’d have to remember to take the
new parcel as JTWROS.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric C. Nelsen<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sayre Law Offices, PLLC<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1417 31st Ave South<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Seattle WA 98144-3909<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">206-625-0092<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:eric@sayrelawoffices.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">eric@sayrelawoffices.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<div style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt solid rgb(225,225,225);padding:3pt 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b>
<a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>
<a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank"><wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com></a>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Kira Rubel<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 4, 2023 2:02 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv
<a href="mailto:wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank"><wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com></a>; WSBA Probate & Trust
Listserv <a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank"><wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBARP] JTWROS - Community Property
question<u></u><u></u></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hey team - I don't know about the rest of
you but I'm so tired of telling my surviving spouses that
they have to do a lack of probate affidavit or, worse yet, a
probate for the home they owned as community property! <u></u><u></u></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Assuming there is no living trust or
community property agreement, am I correct that RCW
64.28.040 is the third workaround, in that it allows a
married couple to hold title to real property as JTWROS
and still get the full step-up in tax basis on the first
death? If so, why don't I see more deeds held this way?
Is anyone else doing this? <u></u><u></u></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Cambria,serif">Kira
M. Rubel, Esq.</span></i><span><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><i><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Cambria,serif">*Licensed
in CA and WA</span></i><span><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><img style="width: 1in; height: 0.5in;" id="m_8914290768929776815_x0000_i1025" src="https://drive.google.com/a/theharborlawgroup.com/uc?id=1E57YB_h2v4LJLf-5LkuttKj5KjL212Bk&export=download" width="96" height="48" border="0"></span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:black"> <br>
8811 N. Harborview Dr. Ste. B<br>
Gig Harbor, WA 98332-2174 <br>
Tel. (253) 358-2215</span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="https://theharborlawgroup.com/" target="_blank">https://theharborlawgroup.com/</a></span></u><u></u><u></u></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;line-height:8.5pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">The
information transmitted (including any
attachments) is intended only for the
person to whom it is addressed and may
contain confidential and/or privileged
material that may be protected by law from
disclosure. If you receive this
transmission in error, please notify the
sender by reply e-mail and delete the
message and any attachments from your
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or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities
other than the intended recipient is
prohibited.</span><span style="font-size:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;line-height:8.5pt;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">No
Tax Advice: No matter what I say in this
email, I am an attorney, not a tax advisor
and cannot provide any tax advice to you!
Please refer all tax matters to your own
tax advisor to ensure you are receiving
the most up-to-date and relevant tax
advice. </span><span style="font-size:12pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
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