Smid family to get 23% of $1.5 mil estate: grandchildren disinherited

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - SPOKANE, Wash. - Jul 31, 2017 - Helen and Grant Framstad were pillars of the community in Spokane Washington. They were devoted parishioners of Saint Luke Lutheran Church and were always willing to help a neighbor or friend in need. They often assisted with church fundraisers and affairs and dedicated a portion of their estate to charity. They had an only daughter, Jennifer, and she had three children.

Helen and Grant appointed a Trustee for the revocable trust they created together. Grant passed away on June 29th, 2009 and Helen became the sole executor of the will. December 15th, 2009 the will was restated, changing the Trustee to Robert J. Smid. Mr. Smid was not related to the Framstad family. Smid was appointed as the trustee due to the friendship he cultivated with Helen at church; she felt they could trust him.

At this point in time, Bob Smid and his wife, Mary Smid, were written into the Framstad will at 10%. It was the first time a non-family member and non-charitable entity had been included in the will. The grandchildren were detailed in the will as each having a separate trust, with the total percentage at 35%.

Nov 30th, 2011 the will was amended again, with Bob and Mary Smid’s distribution increasing to 15%. The grandchildren’s distribution decreases to 25%.

Aug 3rd, 2015 the will was amended a final time. Bob Smid took Helen out of Riverview Retirement Community during the worst fires in Spokane history to sign the final amendment of the will. Bob and Mary Smid’s distribution increased to 23%, while the grandchildren were disinherited entirely.

Helen passed away Feb 24rd, 2017. When her will was shared with the Framstad family, they were devastated. “We always had a good relationship with our grandmother,” said Alan, the youngest of the three. “When we visited her, we would always bring her favorite dishes like curry and bulgogi, and she would cry every time we left and remind us that family is everything.”

Jennifer expressed her sadness and grief, simply wanting answers as to why her children had been disinherited. According to Jennifer, Bob refused to answer simple questions about the Framstad estate.  “On Friday May 12th, when I asked Bob about my parents’ estate, Bob said yes – he knew the total value. When asked to share the information with me, the majority beneficiary, he outright refused.”

Smid also refused to release Helen’s medical records when Jennifer requested them. From June to September of 2015, Spokane experienced the largest and most continuous forest fires in history. The Aqi (air quality index) under 50 is good; on August 3rd it was 116 due to wildfire smoke. The elderly and the young were advised to stay indoors. It was during this hazardous time that Bob took Helen to the notary to sign the final amended will.

Helen was hospitalized for a week after the signing on August 3rd. The doctors diagnosed her with smoke inhalation and exposure, which severely compounded her congestive heart failure. From that point forward, she needed an oxygen tank and wheelchair, and rapidly declined in strength and mobility.

Concerned for her Mother’s health and wellbeing, Jennifer requested that Bob hire Helen an aide to assist her with tasks such as making phone calls, as she was also legally blind. Jennifer wanted to move to Spokane and buy a home to care for Helen herself. Bob denied both requests. “You know she doesn’t have much time left and she’s had a good life! There’s nothing more we can do for her.”

Helen’s daughter and grandchildren attended her funeral and memorial service at Saint Luke Lutheran Church, where Bob is also a member. A multitude of parishioners, friends and loved ones speak to honor her memory. Bob did not attend the funeral or memorial, but sent his regards.

The Smid family refuses to communicate with Jennifer about the numerous amendments to the will, or give a sensible answer to explain why Bob and Mary were now beneficiaries at 23%. The Smids have two children: Andrew J Smid and Daniel R Smid. Andrew attended the University of Washington and works at Ecova as a Senior Software Engineer. Daniel is a manager at Umpqua Bank.

Helen and Grant’s first great-grandchild was born July 23, 2017. The newest addition to the family is now stripped of any inheritance that his grandparents meant for him, along with all three of Jennifer’s children; that legacy will go instead to the Smid family.

For more info:

www.thesmidfamily.com, www.bobsmid.com, www.marysmid.com, www.andrewsmid.com, www.danielsmid.com