What Happened in Spokane
On Monday, October 26, 2026, a Spokane County Superior Court judge issued a ruling in one of the biggest inheritance fights in the state.
The Spokesman-Review reports that Judge Jacquelyn High-Edward found two adult children financially exploited their father, Spokane real estate magnate Harlan Douglass.
Harlan died on November 26, 2023, after years of memory problems that developed into dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to the newspaper.
Two of his children, Lanzce Douglass and Stacey Douglass Boies, backed a version of his will changed in 2019 that gave Lanzce 65% and Stacey 35% of the estate.
That version would have left their older brother, Harley Douglass, $1,000.
The reporting says the judge threw out about $155 million in promissory notes, voided real estate assignments for Lanzce and Stacey, and upheld the will as it existed before the 2019 change.
The Spokesman-Review describes the estate as roughly $600 million, with a real estate portfolio of about $350 million, and says Harley could end up with an inheritance estimated near $1 billion.
Those figures come from the newspaper's account of the trial, not from a document I have read myself.
What the Judge Found, as Reported
According to the Spokesman-Review, the judge wrote that Lanzce and Stacey had their father sign documents they prepared themselves, with terms he did not know about.
She described Harlan at an April 22, 2019 meeting as 82 years old, relying on others to read and explain documents to him, unable to decipher numbers, and unable to pay his bills on his own.
The paper quotes her finding that the evidence showed, in her words, "clear, cogent, and convincing" proof that Lanzce and Stacey unduly influenced their father.
Undue influence is a legal term for pressure that overpowers a person's free choice, so the document ends up reflecting someone else's wishes instead of the signer's.
Lanzce and Stacey testified that the changes reflected a lifetime of gifts and an earlier inheritance from their mother that Harley had received.
The reporting does not say the judge accepted that explanation.
The Law Behind the Bar on Inheriting
The newspaper reports that the ruling effectively bars Lanzce and Stacey from inheriting from their father, because state law forbids people who financially exploit a vulnerable adult from receiving an inheritance.
The statute is RCW 11.84.020, which says no "abuser" shall acquire any property or receive any benefit as the result of the decedent's death.
RCW 11.84.010 defines an abuser as a person who participates, as a principal or an accessory before the fact, in the willful and unlawful financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
I have not read the judgment, so I cannot say how the court applied these statutes.
Earlier Dispute Over the Hamilton Deed
The Spokesman-Review also reports on a separate earlier dispute involving the estate of Harlan's wife, Maxine Douglass.
According to the paper, Maxine wrote a will in 2008 that split her estate in half, with Harlan keeping one half and the other half divided among their three children.
The paper says that in August 2019, a document it calls the Hamilton Deed was signed by Harlan, and that it transferred much of Maxine's estate to Stacey and Lanzce and removed Harley as a beneficiary.
The article does not explain the legal mechanics of the deed, and I have not read the court's decision.
It reports that in 2023 Judge Raymond Clary ruled for Harley's challenge to the deed and called the scheme "clear, convincing, and inescapable."
What Is Still Unsettled
This is a trial court ruling, and it is not the end.
Lanzce's attorney told the Spokesman-Review the family had not yet decided whether to appeal.
Harley's attorney told the paper the judge will likely have to decide, through a later motion, whether the children of Lanzce and Stacey can inherit anything.
Until those steps play out, nobody can say for certain who ends up with what.
Questions Worth Asking an Independent Estate Attorney
You do not need a large estate for this story to raise useful questions.
This is not legal advice, and the right answers depend on your facts and on Washington law.
Who prepares the documents?
In the reported ruling, the judge noted the children prepared the papers themselves.
If someone is updating a will or deed, ask an attorney who is independent of the people who benefit how drafting and signing should be handled.
What can be shown about understanding at signing?
The reported ruling looked closely at what Harlan could and could not do in April 2019.
Ask an attorney what records could matter if a signer has memory problems, and what they can and cannot prove.
What happens when shares change a lot?
This case involved a move from an equal split to 65%, 35%, and $1,000.
Ask an attorney how a major change could be challenged and what to expect.
Which document controls which property?
The reporting describes a will, promissory notes, and real estate assignments all being challenged.
Ask an attorney how each document works and whether they are consistent.
Who should be in the room?
If you help an older relative with paperwork and you would benefit from it, ask an attorney whether and how to step back.
If you are worried that an older relative is being pressured about a will, a deed, or a loan, an estate planning or probate attorney in your county can tell you what options exist and how short the deadlines can be.
If you would like to talk through a family estate or an inherited home, you can schedule a 15-minute call with me.
