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<p class="MsoNormal">I once spent 14 hours at a decedent’s house while two siblings in their 60s slowly divided all the tangible personal property into two piles. We did the classic “sib 1 gets to make the piles, then sib 2 gets to pick which pile to take”
to make it “fair.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The whole thing came within a whisker of failing at the very end, because one pile had an old-fashioned doll of an infant, and the other pile had a toy baby carriage, and 65-year-old sib 1 was yelling that they “went together” and 67-year-old
sib 2 was insisting that they didn’t because they were from different toy sets.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nothing in either pile was worth 50 cents at a flea market.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sorry Brent. These disputes really aren’t satisfactorily solveable by legal means. Evidence of a gift of tangible personal property often comes down to possession, or location of the object in the house in a way that seems to imply that
it has changed hands. Or a Christmas or birthday card that went with it. Or a third party witness not barred by Dead Man’s Statute who was present at the time of the gift, or can testify to some non-hearsay behavior indicating that the gift had been made.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sayre Law Offices, PLLC<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:eric@sayrelawoffices.com"><span style="color:#467886">eric@sayrelawoffices.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Brent Williams-Ruth<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 25, 2026 2:50 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Experience fighting over tangible item (intestate)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Greetings List Members - <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">I am facing down a situation where two individuals are contemplating war over a print with sentimental value. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In one corner - an estranged half-sister of the decedent who wants the print as part of a settlement to not make probate miserable for my client<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In the other corner - my client - Petitioner/Sub-3, never married, No Will. Claims that her partner of 44 years gave her the print. There is no paperwork (oh if only there was!). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Before I open Lexis to look for authority regarding the establishment of a gift without documentation, I wanted to see if anyone has had the joy of this type of fight in your prior experience.
Appreciate any guidance!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br clear="all">
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, </span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC</span></b><o:p></o:p></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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red">Mailing Address:</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> PO BOX 3319; Federal Way, WA 98063 </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Office/Scheduling Phone:<span style="color:#004080"> </span><span style="color:red">(253) 285-7751</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red">For All Meetings & Scheduling:
<a href="mailto:info@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">info@williams-ruthlaw.com</a></span><o:p></o: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><o:p></o:p></p>
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