(1) A conservator may pay, or secure by encumbering property included in the conservatorship estate, a claim against the conservatorship estate or the individual subject to conservatorship arising before or during the conservatorship, on presentation and allowance in accordance with the priorities under subsection (4) of this section. A claimant may present a claim by:

(a) Sending or delivering to the conservator a statement in a record of the claim, indicating its basis, the name and address of the claimant, and the amount claimed; or

(b) Filing the claim with the court, in a form acceptable to the court, and sending or delivering a copy of the claim to the conservator.

(2) A claim under subsection (1) of this section is presented on receipt by the conservator of the statement of the claim or the filing with the court of the claim, whichever first occurs. A presented claim is allowed if it is not disallowed in whole or in part by the conservator in a record sent or delivered to the claimant not later than sixty days after its presentation. Before payment, the conservator may change an allowance of the claim to a disallowance in whole or in part, but not after allowance under a court order or order directing payment of the claim. Presentation of a claim tolls until thirty days after disallowance of the claim the running of a statute of limitations that has not expired relating to the claim.

(3) A claimant whose claim under subsection (1) of this section has not been paid may petition the court to determine the claim at any time before it is barred by a statute of limitations, and the court may order its allowance, payment, or security by encumbering property included in the conservatorship estate. If a proceeding is pending against the individual subject to conservatorship at the time of appointment of the conservator or is initiated thereafter, the moving party shall give the conservator notice of the proceeding if it could result in creating a claim against the conservatorship estate.

(4) If a conservatorship estate is likely to be exhausted before all existing claims are paid, the conservator shall distribute the estate in money or in kind in payment of claims in the following order:

(a) Costs and expenses of administration;

(b) A claim of the federal or state government having priority under law other than this chapter;

(c) A claim incurred by the conservator for support, care, education, health, or welfare previously provided to the individual subject to conservatorship or an individual who is in fact dependent on the individual subject to conservatorship;

(d) A claim arising before the conservatorship; and

(e) All other claims.

(5) Preference may not be given in the payment of a claim under subsection (4) of this section over another claim of the same class. A claim due and payable may not be preferred over a claim not due unless:

(a) Doing so would leave the conservatorship estate without sufficient funds to pay the basic living and health care expenses of the individual subject to conservatorship; and

(b) The court authorizes the preference under *RCW 11.130.435(1)(h).

(6) If assets of a conservatorship estate are adequate to meet all existing claims, the court, acting in the best interest of the individual subject to conservatorship, may order the conservator to grant a security interest in the conservatorship estate for payment of a claim at a future date.

*Reviser's note: RCW 11.130.435 was amended by 2020 c 312 s 218, changing subsection (1)(h) to subsection (1)(i), effective January 1, 2022.