SEATTLE, WA – Two individuals and their companies have been ordered to pay more than $7 million after a King County judge found them liable for operating a years-long scheme that exploited Washington’s probate system for personal gain, according to the Washington Attorney General’s Office.
King County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien ruled that John B. Elliott, Shanelle Sunde, and their businesses — Probate & Administration Services LLC, Aurora Creek Ranch LLC, and Sunde Consulting LLC — violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act and state probate laws by engaging in unfair and deceptive practices. The court also issued a permanent injunction barring them from serving as probate administrators in the future.
Between 2019 and 2024, the defendants allegedly used legal loopholes to gain control over the estates of about 200 deceased individuals, most of whom were strangers. The Attorney General’s Office reported that they sold at least 90 homes worth more than $28 million and collected excessive commissions and fees while diverting estate assets. Elliott also allegedly took personal property from several estates, including vehicles, jewelry, firearms, and furniture.
“People shouldn’t have to worry about loopholes in the law that leave them or their family members vulnerable to fraud and abuse — especially during times of grief,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement. “I’m happy that the work of our office will provide some solace to families”.
One of the victims, Sandra Allen, lost her sister, Judy Bass, to colon cancer in 2016. Without Allen’s knowledge, the defendants gained control of Bass’s estate, selling her childhood home in Burien for $110,000. Before court intervention, most of the proceeds had been drained; Allen will now receive the remaining $25,000 as part of the restitution.
Judge Parisien ordered the defendants to pay more than $4 million in restitution within 30 days of the Oct. 3 judgment filing. The remaining $3 million covers civil penalties, attorney fees, and court costs. The Attorney General’s Office will oversee the distribution of restitution funds to affected estates and heirs.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which led the case, is primarily funded through recoveries from businesses found in violation of Washington’s consumer laws rather than taxpayer dollars. Assistant Attorneys General Matt Geyman, Ben Carr, and Lauren Holzer, along with paralegals and investigators from the office, handled the case.
For more information about the Attorney General’s consumer protection work, visit www.atg.wa.gov.
