<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" style="" size="4">Esteemed section members: </font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">I've got a deceased PR who apparently didn't handle things correctly in a different estate - lots of creditor claims were filed that were apparently never dealt with, and that other estate, in a different county, is STILL OPEN -- the court never made a CR 41 motion to close the estate for want of prosecution, even though the last court file activity was several years back. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">The PR has now died, more than 2 years ago. Now an estate is open for the PR's own estate. I'm trying to reassure myself that there is no possibility that the claimants from this PRIOR estate could still have any ability to make a claim against the PR's own estate. </span></div></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">1) Are an estate's alleged creditor's remedies for payment of debts owed by the decedent </span><u style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">LIMITED </u><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">to the statutory remedies and procedures set forth in RCW 11.40, </span><u style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">OR</u><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">, if </span>the<span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"> creditor has procedurally complied with RCW 11.40, and then the PR of the estate doesn't properly handle creditor claims, does the alleged creditor then </span><u style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">ALSO </u><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">have the right to assert a claim against the PR for breach of fiduciary duty - which has a longer statute of limitations, needing to be filed at any time before the PR is discharged? (RCW 11.96A.070). (I am hoping that the creditor is limited to the statutory procedures, and not this longer statute of limitations.)</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">2) Even if the answer to this is that the creditor DOES have this additional remedy, making a claim against the PR for breach of fiduciary duty, would that potential claim against the PR then be subject to the general 2-year creditor claim period against the PR's own estate, </span>
<span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:16px">RCW 11.40.020(1)(b)(ii)</span><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">, if the PR has later died, and more than 2 years have passed? OR, would that potential claim against the PR be a remedy available at any time prior to the discharge of the PR of the first estate, according to the SOL for claims against PRs set forth in </span><b style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent"><span style="font-family:Century,serif">RCW 11.96A.070? (I'm hoping that the 2 years would be a bar.)</span></b></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">3) If the creditor gets to file their claim against the PR for breach of fiduciary anytime up to discharge of the PR under </span><b style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Century,serif">RCW 11.96A.070, does this claim expire based on the fact that the PR has now died? </span></b><font style="background-color:transparent;font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large">By my reading of </font><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large">RCW 11.68.060, the death of the PR does not serve to "automatically" discharge the PR - there has to be other action taken to carry out the "discharge." (I'm hoping that the death of the PR would have the effect of switching the avenue for bringing a claim against the PR over into the PR's own separate estate, and thus subject to the 2-year period on claims.)</span></div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" size="4">If you want more detail: </font></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">JANE died 20+ years ago. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">Spouse JOE appointed as PR </span>
<span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large">20+</span>
<span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large">years </span> <span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">ago. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">JOE is also 100% beneficiary of JANE's estate. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">20+ creditor claims were filed against JANE's estate, all filed 20+ years ago. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">JOE never filed anything with the court to allow or reject any of the claims. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">None of the creditors against JANE's estate ever took action to pursue the claims further. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">Given the 20+ year passage of time, it seems clear that the SOL on all creditor claims has now passed, since they took no further action to pursue their claims beyond the initial filings. </span><span style="background-color:transparent">See </span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Century,serif;font-size:11pt">In re Estate of Henington, 331 P.3d 112, 115 (Wash. App. 2014). </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">JOE then died. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">JANE's estate is still open with the court. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">Nothing was filed with the court in JANE's estate to notify anyone that JOE has died, nor to appoint a successsor PR of JANE's estate. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">JOE's estate has now been opened, in a different county than JANE's estate. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">More than 2 years have now passed since JOE's death. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">Am I right that the creditors of JANE's estate don't need to be given further consideration by the PR of JOE's estate, given that a) they didn't do anything to further pursue their claims in JANE's estate, after JOE failed to respond to their initial claims, and b) they didn't assert a creditor claim against JOE's estate within the 2 years? </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">I *think* that the creditors' only legal remedies are the procedures set forth in RCW 11.40, and that if they didn't pursue those further, then they are now out of luck, and the SOLs on their creditor claims have now long expired given the 20+ year passage of time. </span> See <span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Century,serif;font-size:11pt">In re Estate of Henington, 331 P.3d 112, 115 (Wash. App. 2014) (discussing RCW 11.40.051(2): </span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Century,serif;font-size:11pt">"We hold that the mere filing of a creditor's claim in a probate case, without any further action by the claimant or the PR, does not toll the statute of limitations."). </span><span style="background-color:transparent"> </span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large"> </span> <span style="background-color:transparent;font-family:Century,serif;font-size:11pt"> </span><span style="background-color:transparent"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif" size="4">So, even if a successor PR for JANE's estate were to be appointed, those creditors would be out of luck. </font></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large;background-color:transparent">I also *think* that, even if the creditors did have some claim against the PR JOE for breach of his fiduciary duty in managing JANE's estate, such as a claim that he didn't correctly deal with JANE's creditors, the fact that it's now been 2+ years since JOE's death, the creditors have lost their ability to assert a claim against JOE's own estate. </span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:transparent">RCW 11.40.020(1)(b)(ii). </span></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large">Thanks for any insight!</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:large">Sarah</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><b><span style="color:black"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">Sarah O’Farrell McCarthy</font></span></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><font color="#000000"><b>(Pronouns: she / her)<br></b></font>Attorney*, Partner | <font color="#000000">Kelly, Arndt & Walker, <font color="#000000">Attorneys at Law, PLLP</font></font><font color="#000000"></font><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><br></span><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black"><font color="#000000">P.O. Box 290 | </font></span></span></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">6443 Harding Avenue |</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Clinton, WA 98236</span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="color:black"><span style="color:black"><font color="#000000"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"></span></font></span></span>(Located on Whidbey Island, Island County, Washington)</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">* Licensed to practice in Washington (active) and California (inactive)<br><span style="color:black">Phone: <a href="tel:(360)%20341-1515" value="+13603411515" target="_blank">(360) 341-1515</a> | Fax: <a href="tel:(360)%20341-3272" value="+13603413272" target="_blank">(360) 341-3272</a><br><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><a><font color="#222222">sarah@kawlawyers.com</font></a> <font color="#000000">| <span style="color:black"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><font color="#000000"><a href="http://www.kawlawyers.com" target="_blank">www.kawlawyers.com</a></font></span></span></font></span></span></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><font size="3"><font size="3"><font size="3"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#0000ff" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><b>IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR DELIVERIES TO THIS OFFICE: </b></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#0000ff" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><b>For delivery by USPS, please send to PO Box 290, Clinton, WA 98236.</b></span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#0000ff" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:7.5pt"><b>For delivery by UPS or FedEX, please send to 6443 Harding Ave, Clinton WA 98236.</b></span></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125);font-size:7.5pt">This electronic message transmission contains information from the law firm of Kelly, Arndt & Walker, PLLP which may be confidential or privileged. 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