Opinion ID: 2633484
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Cleveland's Will Contest Is Time-Barred

Text: ¶ 16 A party contesting a will must satisfy the RCW 11.24.020 citation requirement within the four-month statute of limitations imposed by RCW 11.24.010 or within 90 days of timely filing a will contest petition. Cleveland's suggestion her belated issuance of a citation to Duke satisfies RCW 11.24.020 is unavailing. ¶ 17 While RCW 11.24.020 imposes no explicit statutory time limit on the issuance of a citation, it implicitly adopts the requirements of the Superior Court Civil Rules and Title 4 governing civil procedure. See CR 1 (These rules govern the procedure in the superior court in all suits of a civil nature whether cognizable as cases at law or in equity with the exceptions stated in Rule 81.) and CR 81(a) (Except where inconsistent with rules or statutes applicable to special proceedings, these rules shall govern all civil proceedings.). Under CR 3(a), An action shall not be deemed commenced for the purpose of tolling any statute of limitations except as provided in RCW 4.16.170. Thus, [i]f service has not been had on the defendant prior to the filing of the complaint, the plaintiff shall cause one or more of the defendants to be served personally, ... within ninety days from the date of filing the complaint or the action shall be deemed to not have been commenced for purposes of tolling the statute of limitations. RCW 4.16.170. In other words, a party contesting a will may request and serve citations any time within the four-month statute of limitations on bringing a will contest or any time within 90 days of timely filing a petition contesting the will. See King County Water Dist. No. 90 v. City of Renton, 88 Wash.App. 214, 228, 944 P.2d 1067 (1997) (applying identical principle to RCW 36.93.160(5)). ¶ 18 Cleveland requested and served a citation on Duke more than two years after timely filing a petition contesting Kordon's will. Such belated service is obviously inadequate. Substantial compliance with the RCW 11.24.020 citation requirement within the RCW 11.24.010 statute of limitations may be sufficient. See In re Estate of Palucci, 61 Wash.App. 412, 417, 810 P.2d 970 (1991). A total failure to comply is not. A court has no jurisdiction to hear and determine a contest begun after the expiration of the time fixed in the statute; neither does a court of equity have power to entertain such jurisdiction. State ex rel. Wood v. Superior Court, 76 Wash. 27, 30-31, 135 P. 494 (1913). See also In re Estate of Toth, 138 Wash.2d 650, 653, 981 P.2d 439 (1999). Because Cleveland clearly failed to satisfy the RCW 11.24.010 statute of limitations, we hold the trial court properly granted Duke's motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.