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<p class="MsoNormal">Larry,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Attached are my notes that I keep at hand for these situations. Some or all of this generally ends up in a letter/email to the financial institution, sometimes closed out with “if you continue to insist that my client obtain letters testamentary
they are prepared to move their accounts from your institution once they have obtained access.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It tends to work, but I have also had a few situations where they continued to insist.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Heather<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:#1F497D">Heather S. de Vrieze</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D">(she/her)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D">Attorney-at-Law</span></i><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D"><img width="189" height="105" style="width:1.9666in;height:1.0916in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DCA275.233BD7B0"></span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Kunstler Script";color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">3909 California Avenue SW<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">Seattle, WA 98116-3705
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">(206)938-5500
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:heatherd@westseattlelaw.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">heatherd@westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.westseattlelaw.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">www.westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002E8A">Click here to connect with de Vrieze | Carney on Facebook:
</span></b><b><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeVriezeCarney"><b><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="72" height="21" style="width:.75in;height:.2166in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.png@01DCA275.233BD7B0" alt="FB Logo"></span></b></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6">CONFIDENTIAL & PRIVILEGED. This e-mail message may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately
and delete all copies of this e-mail message and any attachment.</span><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></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"> wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>laj-laws@juno.com<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 20, 2026 2:07 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com; solo-and-small-practice-section@list.wsba.org; elder-law-section@list.wsba.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBARP] Input re LPL Financial not honoring language in Comm.Prop.Agrmt of dec eased//freezing account<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Was wondering if any of you can help me/have suggestions regarding the following scenario:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Client’s husband passed away and his Financial Account with LPL (Not an IRA or 401(k) or pension acct), which<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">was jointly owned by the deceased and his surviving wife, had a beneficiary designation of Joint Community Property (not sure what that means, but it was NOT Joint tenants with rights of survivorship (JTWROS)). (They did not follow my instructions
to make it JTWROS.)<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">LPL is saying that we need to get Letters Testamentary before they will “unfreeze” the account.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, we can get the Letters Testamentary no problem, but Clients also executed a typical 3-prong<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Community Property Agreement (CPA), which has been submitted to LPL, with the relevant language (cited below)<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">specifically pointed out to them (LPL).<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">The CPA in pertinent part states: “Upon the death of either of the parties thereto, all …property …shall become and be considered to be community property as the moment before the death of the first spouse to die. …Title to all described
community property shall immediately vest in the surviving party.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">LPL’s Estate Dept has said, in essence that they don’t care what the CPA says and that we need to to get Letters Testamentary from a Court before they’ll unfreeze the account.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Anyone had success getting a brokerage house to accept the CPA and not require Letters T?<br>
If so, how?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you in advance for any help you might provide.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Regards,<br>
Larry<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="s1">LARRY A. JOHNSTONE, ATTORNEY AT LAW, PLLC</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="s1">Waterfront Park Building</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="s1">144 Railroad Avenue, Suite 203</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="s1">Edmonds, WA 98020</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="s1">Toll-free Number: (888) 878-4478 </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="s1">(you may leave a message after Six Long Rings)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="s1">**Email: <a href="mailto:LAJ-LAWS@juno.com**">
LAJ-LAWS@juno.com**</a> (Best way to reach Larry is email)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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