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The first sentence of 11.48.201 reads: "If testator by will makes provision for the compensation of his or her personal representative, that shall be taken as his or her full compensation unless he or she files in the court a written instrument renouncing all
claim for the compensation provided by the will before qualifying as personal representative." Given that, I think that an argument could certainly be made that the court's authority to award a PR fee only applies where the Will says nothing at all about
the fee and that the executor in your scenario would have needed to file a renunciation of the "compensation provided by the will" before being appointed as PR in order to ask for a fee now. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sincerely,<br>
Jon M. Fritzler<br>
Attorney at Law<br>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black;">11015 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Suite D</span></p>
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<span style="color: black;">Vancouver, WA 98662</span><br>
Tel. 360.818.4431<br>
Eml <a style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" target="_blank" href="mailto:fritzlerlaw@outlook.com">
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> on behalf of Jake Seegmuller <jake@nwlegacylaw.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, November 21, 2025 3:05 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] PR Fee if Will Prohibits PR Taking a Fee</font>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Hello learned listserv members,</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">We have another unusual situation here wherein the Will of the decedent prohibits the personal representative from taking a fee. This is clearly an internet Will that the decedent modified
and had properly executed. At issue here is that all the named executors failed to act, and another family member (our client) stepped forward to administer the Estate (the PR is a beneficiary by operation of a named beneficiary’s death).</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The PR was appointed with nonintervention powers. The other beneficiaries have been challenging to work with throughout the administration, so the PR is interested in collecting a fee for her
time and effort. I’m aware of statutory provisions for the PR to renounce a fee when it is inappropriate, but I want to understand how RCW 11.48.210 comes into play when the Will prohibits a fee. I read the following section as permitting the Court to award
a fee even when “no compensation is provided in the will” to cover our situation. This tracks with the broad authority Courts have to determine whether a fee is just and reasonable. But I could also see this as only applying the absence of any direction in
the Will on a PR fee.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">RCW 11.48.210:<i> The personal representative, when no compensation is provided in the will, or when he or she renounces all claim to the compensation provided in the will, shall be allowed such compensation for his or her services as
the court shall deem just and reasonable.</i><i><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"></span></i></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Any thoughts or insights are appreciated on or off list.</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.25pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif; color:#002554"> Jakob O. Seegmuller
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif; color:#002554">(he/him)</span><b><span style="color:#002554"></span></b></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.25pt"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif; color:#002554"> Attorney</span><span style="color:#002554"></span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif"> nwlegacylaw.com | 360-975-7770</span></p>
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