<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">TODDs are uniformly detested by title companies, especially if there is a sale within 2 years of the date of death. I talk at length with clients who claim they want a TODD. Then paper my file to protect myself should things go sideways in the future. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Second, because TODD's are new to Washington there hasn't been much litigation. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">My own opinion - and granted I am getting old and crotchety - is extremely conservative. If the statute says equal shares you are literally setting yourself up to be the case study that would need to be litigated when things go sideways. Would you ultimately win and could you make case law for it? Potentially. Is it worth the litigation? being rejected by a crabby county recorder/auditor?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">All for what? To avoid probate in a state that has probate that is a breeze as long as everyone is getting along?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Brent</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Brent
Williams-Ruth</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> (pronouns: he/him)<br>
<i>Attorney-At-Law</i></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Law
Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, </span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><font size="1">a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC</font></span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Physical Address: 500 S 336th Street, Suite 214; Federal
Way, WA 98003</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><font color="#ff0000">Mailing Address:</font> </span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">PO BOX 3319; Federal Way, WA 98063 </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Office/Scheduling
Phone:<span style="color:#004080"> </span><font color="#ff0000">(253) 285-7751</font></span></p><p><font color="#ff0000" face="Times New Roman, serif">For All Meetings & Scheduling: <a href="mailto:info@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">info@williams-ruthlaw.com</a></font></p><p>
</p><p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:Brent@Williams-RuthLaw.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a> / <a href="http://www.williams-ruthlaw.com/" target="_blank">website</a> /</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/bwrlaw" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.5pt">facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> / </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></p></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Aug 14, 2025 at 1:29 PM Nichol Fletcher <<a href="mailto:nfletcher@crandall-law.com">nfletcher@crandall-law.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 class="msg-7038086614239073438">
<div lang="EN-US" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have a client who wants to leave unequal interests in real estate to two beneficiaries (70% and 30%, respectively) via a transfer on death deed. I am trying to figure out whether this is allowed under the Washington Uniform Real Property
Transfer on Death Act. <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">RCW 64.80.100(1)(c) provides that where a TODD makes a bequest of concurrent interests, those interests are “transferred to the beneficiaries in equal and undivided shares with no right of survivorship”. However, the structure of 64.80.100,
along with the comments to the model Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (published 2009 by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws), give me the impression that this is a default rule that can be overridden by express language
in the deed to the contrary. Specifically, the model act refers to this section as a “default” rule, and states generally that the transferor of a transfer on death deed “may select any form of ownership, concurrent or successive, absolute or conditional,
contingent or vested, valid under state law…”, citing the general restatement rule of giving the “maximum effect allowed by law” to the grantor’s intent.
<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have not found any caselaw on the issue, and the question does not appear to be addressed in the legislative history or the secondary sources I have access to. Beyond the model act commentary and other (generally cursory and informal)
impressions published online, which have conflicting interpretations, I haven’t been able to find much guidance. Has anyone dealt with this before? Any input is appreciated!
<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you!<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";color:rgb(31,73,125)">Nichol A Fletcher, Attorney at Law<span><u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(31,73,125)">Tel: (509) 223-3200 Email:
</span><span style="font-size:9pt;color:black"><a href="mailto:nfletcher@crandall-law.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">nfletcher@crandall-law.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://crandall-law.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="101" height="36" style="width: 1.052in; height: 0.375in;" id="m_-7038086614239073438Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:ii_198aad2332d4ce8e91" alt="Small Mountain logo"></span></a><span style="color:black"><a href="https://crandall-law.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";color:rgb(5,99,193)">North
Cascades Law Group</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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