<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">I don't say this often (at all), but in this case, I might consider a motion for summary judgement and attach support showing they were already paid, along with free room and board, condition of home upon leaving and anything else you can think of. The couple cannot state anything they were told about "getting more" because of the Dead Man's statute. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Just food for thought: requiring them to answer and appear could be helpful. Plus the hearing time frame is reasonable typically (at least here in Spokane Co.).</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="color:rgb(56,118,29);font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large">Diane Kiepe</span></div><div><font color="#38761d" face="georgia, serif" size="4">Kiepe Estate and Probate, PLLC<br></font><div><font size="4" face="georgia, serif" color="#38761d"><a href="mailto:diane@kiepelaw.com" target="_blank">diane@kiepelaw.com</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="georgia, serif" color="#38761d">200 N. Mullan Rd., Suite 203</font></div><div><font size="4" face="georgia, serif" color="#38761d">Spokane Valley, WA 99206</font></div></div><div><span style="color:rgb(56,118,29);font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:large">509-280-6414</span></div><div><div><span style="color:rgb(105,105,105);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:10px">Confidentiality</span><span style="color:rgb(105,105,105);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:10px"> Notice: This page and any accompanying documents contain information that is </span><span style="color:rgb(105,105,105);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:10px">confidential</span><span style="color:rgb(105,105,105);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:10px">, privileged, or exempt from disclosure under applicable law and is intended for the exclusive use of the addressee. This information is private and protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this information in any manner is strictly prohibited.</span></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Apr 1, 2026 at 5:16 PM Dalynne Singleton <<a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com">dalynne@glgmail.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="msg3845000297592363707">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif">Depending on your county of filing, you should put into ADR (mediation and/or arbitration) and then do a little discovery as well. Present your case and see if any settlement can be reached.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif">Do you have a trial date? That would also give you some hard deadlines to file for discovery, ADR, etc.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:26pt;font-family:"Rastanty Cortez";color:black;background:white">Dalynne Singleton</span></b><b><span style="font-size:26pt;font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black;background:white"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Dalynne Singleton</span></i></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Gourley Law Group</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Snohomish Escrow/The Exchange Connection</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">1002 10<sup>th</sup> Street / PO Box 1091</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Snohomish, WA 98291</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">360.568.5065</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">360.568.8092 fax</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">dalynne@glgmail.com</span></a>
<u>Website: </u><a href="http://www.glglawgroup.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">www.glglawgroup.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Attorney/client meetings will be handled virtually whenever possible. If you would like to set a consultation, please call/email one my paralegals Valerie
<a href="mailto:valerie@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">valerie@glgmail.com</span></a>, Erica
<a href="mailto:erica@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">erica@glgmail.com</span></a>, Bill
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<a href="mailto:theresa@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">theresa@glgmail.com</span></a>. Co-counsels at GLG are Attorney Carrie Ulrich (<a href="mailto:carrie@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">carrie@glgmail.com</span></a> ), Spencer Clower
(<a href="mailto:spencer@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">spencer@glgmail.com</span></a>) and Candace Wilkerson (<a href="mailto:candace@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">candace@glgmail.com</span></a>). Litigation paralegal is Daina Gray (<a href="mailto:daina@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(70,120,134)">daina@glgmail.com</span></a>).
</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt"> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Kate Szurek<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 1, 2026 4:44 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] managing a creditor's claim<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our decedent and her late husband were cared for by live-in married couple (caregiver and gardener). After the second death, the couple filed a substantial creditor’s claim (over $100K) saying only that they “devoted years to [the decedents’]
care.” True, but all along they received free room and board for themselves and their 3 children, in separate living quarters (a nice guest house on the property), plus reasonable compensation, gas, food . . . We also let them remain for several months after
the second death so they could watch the place, provide maintenance, and find suitable housing.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We rejected the claim; they brought suit; we made a counterclaim (place was left with food exposed and filled with vermin) and later a settlement offer. A few unproductive phone conferences and well over a year later, nothing is happening.
<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ideas for how to shake this loose --- that doesn’t involve a flood of paperwork generating attorney’s fees?
<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks in advance, oh experienced ones.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kate<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Cataneo BT";color:blue">Kate Szurek</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">, J.D., LL.M. (in Taxation)</span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><a href="mailto:kate@skagitlaw.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:blue">kate@skagitlaw.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"> </span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)"><img border="0" width="192" height="50" style="width: 2in; height: 0.5208in;" id="m_3845000297592363707x_Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:ii_19d4ec5e0b2935e6e5" alt="SkagitLaw_Signature (2)"></span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">Skagit Law Group, PLLC</span></i></b><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">P.O. Box 336 / 227 Freeway Drive, Suite B</span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">Mount Vernon, WA 98273</span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">360.336.1000</span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">360.336.6690 (fax)</span><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif"><a href="http://www.skagitlaw.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:blue">http://www.skagitlaw.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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