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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>In situations like this, I ask the Title company what do they want to clear title. It seems unfair to make you open probate for all three of the deceased parties; how would you do that? You do not the deceased person’s heirs, how to contact them. The one living party might be able to help but at this late stage, why? Why not file the quiet title action in the county were the land is located; personally serve the living party, if you know their location, and get a court order to publish for the rest. Title companies can be a help in this area if they want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jeff Davis<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>W. Jeff Davis<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>BELL & DAVIS PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Attorneys at Law</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'><br>P.O. Box 510<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>720 E. Washington Street, Suite 105<br>Sequim WA 98382<br>Phone: (360) 683.1129 <br>Fax: (360) 683.1258 <br>email: </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'><a href="mailto:jeff@bellanddavispllc.com">jeff@bellanddavispllc.com</a><span style='color:black'><br></span></span><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><a href="http://www.bellanddavispllc.com/" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:blue'>www.bellanddavispllc.com</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'><br> <br>The information contained in this e-mail message may be privileged, confidential, and protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited. If you think that you have received this e-mail message in error, please e-mail the sender at </span><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><a href="mailto:info@bellanddavispllc.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:blue'>info@bellanddavispllc.com</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'> or call 360.683.1129.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Inge Fordham<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 15, 2024 4:19 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Lawsuit to Quiet Title against Deceased Partners<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I need to file a quiet title lawsuit to remove a cloud on title created by a Defeasance Agreement recorded back in 1992. The persons with the defeasance rights (H & W and H2 & W2, acting as a Washington partnership – no entity formed) had 20 years to exercise their rights and did not exercise their rights. Title company won’t recognize the fact that they have no further rights under the Defeasance Agreement and asked us to commence a quiet title action. Three of the four partners are deceased (and passed after the 20-year period expired). The fourth is alive and I have contact information. I believe she’ll cooperate and stipulate to quiet title. I’ve always believed that to extinguish a deceased individual’s rights, probate must be commenced. However, the rights of all three persons who are now deceased to act under the defeasance agreement expired before they died (and therefore, by operation of law, nothing passed to their respective estates). Can I file suit against the four individuals, identify them as deceased, and the one living partner without commencing probate? There is (of course) a pending sale and time is of the essence. Opening probate for the three deceased members would be a nightmare. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thoughts?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=60 valign=top style='width:45.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'><img border=0 width=96 height=95 style='width:1.0in;height:.9895in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA60A1.8E939A10" alt="uc%3fexport=download&id=1W3rEcChy0_E0cCfV5up02mkhwnL6eWIs&revid=0B4P5JoIHdbFaR29EbHlRWHFseFV5STZpSUVGeUNPWldkVDFVPQ"></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><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='margin-bottom:3.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#203864;mso-ligatures:none'>Inge A. Fordham | Attorney</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Fordham Law, PLLC</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>3218 Sixth Avenue | Tacoma, WA 98406</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'>Office: (253) 348-2657 | Mobile: (206) 778-3131</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:3.0pt'><a href="http://www.fordhamlegal.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>www.fordhamlegal.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:5.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#7D888E;mso-ligatures:none'>Confidential Communication:</span></b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#7D888E;mso-ligatures:none'> 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></div></body></html>