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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Mark, you’re already inundated with responses, but if I could stick my oar in—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">I do think the house has to be characterized as separate property because it was acquired before marriage. The act of marriage does not convert separate property
to community, even if the separate property is co-owned. <u>Borghi</u> and <u>Watanabe</u> make clear that the names on the deed don’t dictate the characterization as separate or community, but those cases are about deeds executed
<i>after</i> marriage and the question of whether characterization changed as a result. In your case, the rules are still firm, that characterization is determined at date of acquisition and pre-marriage acquisition is separate property; and, that changing
characterization of real property requires either a deed executed with intent to change characterization, or a community property agreement (or “status of property” agreement).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">That said—even if the house is separate property and Bob has surviving siblings or nieces/nephews, there is a strong argument that the parties were in fact in
a committed intimate relationship (CIR) for the period where they were cohabiting pre-marriage. In that case, the probate court would have jurisdiction to make an equitable ruling to allocate the decedent’s separate property interest between the surviving
partner (now spouse) and the decedent’s heirs. See <u>Estate of Langeland (Drown v. Boone)</u>. Based on all the facts here—long marriage, payment of mortgage with community funds, etc.—I probably would be comfortable arguing to the court that it is equitable
to allocate 100% of Bob’s interest in the house to Jane: 75% of his interest as her inheritance, and 25% as an additional allocation on equitable principles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">All of which of course requires a probate, and probably a TEDRA agreement or TEDRA action, to get Bob’s siblings/nieces/nephews out of the picture whether by
agreement or by litigation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Sayre Law Offices, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><a href="mailto:eric@sayrelawoffices.com"><span style="color:#467886">eric@sayrelawoffices.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext"> wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com
<wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark Anderson<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 17, 2026 4:18 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com>; WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBARP] Disposition of Real Property at Death<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Dear Listmates:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">This may be basic to some of you, but not to me, at least this late in the day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="color:#002060">Bob, an unmarried individual, and Jane, an unmarried individual, purchased a home (i.e., real property) as tenants-in-common. Bob and Jane are both obligors on the home loan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="color:#002060">Years go by. Bob and Jane marry each other. They never have any children. They never execute a community property agreement. They never change the title to the home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="color:#002060">Even more years go by. Bob dies without a will. Bob is survived only by Jane.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="color:#002060">Jane wants to remove Bob from title to the home. What is Jane's best course of action?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Thanks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="color:#002060">Mark B. Anderson<br>
</span></b><span style="color:#002060">ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC<br>
821 Dock Street, Suite 209, PMB 4-12<br>
Tacoma, Washington 98402<br>
+1 253-327-1750<br>
+1 253-327-1751 (fax)<br>
<a href="mailto:marka@mbaesq.com"><span style="color:#002060">marka@mbaesq.com</span></a><br>
<a href="http://www.mbaesq.com/"><span style="color:#002060">www.mbaesq.com</span></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
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or other confidentiality protection. If you are not the intended recipient, or the person responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, be advised that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is prohibited. If you have received
this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender via e-mail or by telephone at (253) 327-1750 that you have received the message in error, and then delete it. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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