Declaration of completion of probate—Contents—Notice—Discharge of personal representative—Waiver of notice.
(1) If a personal representative who has acquired nonintervention powers does not apply to the court for either of the final decrees provided for in RCW 11.68.100 as now or hereafter amended, the personal representative shall, when the administration of the estate has been completed, file a declaration that must state as follows:
(a) The date of the decedent's death and the decedent's residence at the time of death;
(b) Whether or not the decedent died testate or intestate;
(c) If the decedent died testate, the date of the decedent's last will and testament and the date of the order probating the will;
(d) That each creditor's claim which was justly due and properly presented as required by law has been paid or otherwise disposed of by agreement with the creditor, and that the amount of taxes assessable against the estate has been determined, settled, and paid or otherwise provided for;
(e) That the personal representative has completed the administration of the decedent's estate without court intervention, and the estate is ready to be settled and distributed;
(f) If the decedent died intestate, the names, addresses (if known), and relationship of each heir of the decedent, together with the distributive share of each heir; and
(g) The amount of fees paid or to be paid to each of the following: (i) Personal representative or representatives; (ii) lawyer or lawyers; (iii) appraiser or appraisers; and (iv) accountant or accountants; and that the personal representative believes the fees to be reasonable and does not intend to obtain court approval of the amount of the fees or to submit an estate accounting to the court for approval.
(2) If:
(a)(i) The personal representative with nonintervention powers files a declaration as specified in subsection (1) of this section;
(ii) The personal representative provides the notice as required by subsection (4) of this section; and
(iii) No party, as defined in RCW 11.96A.030, petitions the court under subsection (3) of this section; then:
(b)(i) The filing of the declaration will be the legal equivalent of the entry of a decree of distribution under chapter 11.76 RCW;
(ii) The amount of fees paid or to be paid will be deemed reasonable and will be approved;
(iii) The acts of the personal representative will be approved;
(iv) The personal representative, and any bond ensuring the proper actions of the personal representative, will be discharged; and
(v) The estate will be determined to have been properly and fully distributed and settled.
(3) If the personal representative provides the notice as required by subsection (4) of this section, then, within 30 days following the filing of a declaration of completion of probate under this section, any party, as defined in RCW 11.96A.030, may petition the court under chapter 11.96A RCW to enforce the party's rights, to review the reasonableness of the fees, and/or to compel the personal representative to close the estate under RCW 11.68.100.
(4) Within five days of the date of the filing of the declaration of completion, the personal representative or the personal representative's lawyer shall mail a copy of the declaration of completion to each party as defined in RCW 11.96A.030, who: (a) Has not waived notice of the filing, in writing, filed in the cause; and (b) either has not received the full amount of the distribution to which the party is entitled or has a property right that might be affected adversely by the discharge of the personal representative under this section, together with a notice which shall be substantially as follows:
CAPTION OF CASE | NOTICE OF FILING OF DECLARATION OF COMPLETION OF PROBATE | |
NOTICE IS GIVEN that the attached Declaration of Completion of Probate was filed by the undersigned in the above-entitled court on the . . . . day of . . . . . ., (year) . . . .; unless you petition the above-entitled court under chapter 11.96A RCW to enforce your rights, to review the reasonableness of the fees, and/or to compel the personal representative to close the estate under RCW 11.68.100, within thirty days after the date of the filing of the Declaration of Completion of Probate, the schedule of fees set forth in the Declaration of Completion of Probate will be deemed reasonable, the acts of the personal representative will be deemed approved and the payment of those fees will be approved, the personal representative (and any bond ensuring the proper action of the personal representative) will be automatically discharged without further order of the court, the estate will be deemed to have been properly and fully distributed and settled, and the Declaration of Completion of Probate will be final and deemed the equivalent of a Decree of Distribution entered under chapter 11.76 RCW. | ||
. . . . | ||
Personal Representative's Name | ||
(5) If all parties as defined in RCW 11.96A.030 of the decedent entitled to notice under this section waive, in writing, the notice required by this section, the personal representative will be automatically discharged without further order of the court and the declaration of completion of probate will become effective as a decree of distribution upon the date of filing thereof. In those instances where the personal representative has been required to furnish bond, and a declaration of completion is filed pursuant to this section, any bond furnished by the personal representative shall be automatically discharged upon the discharge of the personal representative.
[ 2021 c 140 s 4014; 2016 c 202 s 8; 1998 c 292 s 202; 1997 c 252 s 68; 1990 c 180 s 5; 1985 c 30 s 8. Prior: 1984 c 149 s 11; 1977 ex.s. c 234 s 26; 1974 ex.s. c 117 s 23.]
NOTES:
Application—2021 c 140 ss 4003-4017, 4023, 4024, and 4026: See note following RCW 11.48.130.
Retroactive application—1998 c 292: "(1) Sections 201 through 205 of this act are remedial in nature and apply retroactively to July 27, 1997, and thereafter.
(2) Section 301 of this act is remedial in nature and applies retroactively to July 1, 1991, and thereafter." [ 1998 c 292 s 604.]
Effective dates—1998 c 292: See RCW 11.11.903.
Application—1997 c 252 ss 1-73: See note following RCW 11.02.005.
Severability—Effective dates—1984 c 149: See notes following RCW 11.02.005.
Effective date, application—Severability—1977 ex.s. c 234: See notes following RCW 11.20.020.
Application, construction—Severability—Effective date—1974 ex.s. c 117: See RCW 11.02.080 and notes following.