A bitter family inheritance dispute involving one of Spokane’s wealthiest property developers has taken a dramatic turn after a judge ruled that two children financially exploited their father while he was living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The decision could leave his eldest son in control of a fortune estimated at nearly $1 billion, according to The Spokesman-Review, with further details reported by Moneywise. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Jacquelyn High-Edward ruled on October 26, 2026, in favour of Harley Douglass, who had challenged changes made to his late father Harlan Douglass’ will in 2019. The ruling reinstates an earlier version of the will and disqualifies his younger siblings, Lanzce Douglass and Stacey Douglass Boies, from receiving an inheritance after finding that they had financially exploited their father. Harlan, a prominent real estate developer, died on November 26, 2023, aged 86. His estate was estimated at approximately $600 million, including an extensive property portfolio. However, when disputed assets and other financial interests are taken into account, the wider family fortune has been valued at around $1 billion.The dispute centred on a revised will that dramatically changed how the family wealth would be distributed. Under the 2019 version, Lanzce was entitled to 65% of the estate, while Stacey would receive the remaining 35%. Harley, the eldest of the three siblings, was left with just $1,000. The younger siblings maintained that their father’s decision reflected their renewed relationships with him and took into account the financial support and inheritance Harley had received during his parents’ lifetimes. Harley, however, argued that the changes were made when his father’s cognitive abilities were deteriorating and that his siblings had taken advantage of his vulnerable condition.
What the judge found about Harlan’s condition
Evidence presented during the proceedings highlighted the extent of Harlan’s cognitive decline around the time the disputed documents were signed. According to the judge’s findings, Harlan had begun experiencing memory problems years before his death. By 2019, he was struggling with basic financial matters, had difficulty understanding numbers and increasingly depended on other people to read documents, arrange appointments and manage his medication.The court also examined how the paperwork affecting his estate had been prepared and presented to him. The judge found that Lanzce and Stacey had arranged for their father to sign documents they had prepared themselves, without adequately explaining the terms and their financial implications.The circumstances surrounding these transactions raised serious concerns about whether Harlan had been in a position to understand the decisions he was making. After considering the testimony, financial records and other evidence presented during the trial, High-Edward concluded that the siblings had exercised undue influence over their father.
Why the siblings could lose their entire inheritance
The ruling went beyond overturning the disputed will. The judge also invalidated promissory notes worth approximately $155 million that had been issued in favour of Lanzce, Stacey and their five children. These documents represented substantial financial commitments from Harlan.Additionally, the court cancelled property assignments that had transferred real estate interests to the younger siblings. An important factor in the decision was Washington state’s law concerning the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. Under the legislation, individuals found to have financially exploited someone who later dies cannot benefit from that person’s estate. Consequently, Lanzce and Stacey could be barred from receiving any inheritance from their father, rather than simply losing the advantages created by the revised will.
A previous inheritance dispute had already divided the family
The latest judgment is not the first time the Douglass family has faced a courtroom battle over an inheritance. A similar dispute followed the death of Harlan’s wife, Maxine Douglass, in 2016. Her 2008 will had allocated 50% of the children’s share of her estate to Harley, 40% to Stacey and 10% to Lanzce, while the remaining portion was placed in a trust for Harlan.However, in 2019, Lanzce arranged for a document later known as the Hamilton Deed to be prepared, which altered the distribution of Maxine’s assets and removed Harley as a beneficiary. Harley challenged the arrangement, and in 2023, Spokane County Superior Court Judge Raymond Clary ruled in his favour. The court found that the documents had been used as part of an attempt to disinherit him. The latest decision has therefore added another major chapter to a family dispute that has stretched across several years and involved hundreds of millions of dollars.
Could Harley Douglass inherit the entire fortune?
For now, Harley appears to be in the strongest position to take control of his father’s estate. His attorney, Steve Hassing, has indicated that the ruling could ultimately leave him with the entire inheritance. However, the final distribution is not yet settled. The court may still need to determine whether the children of Lanzce and Stacey can receive anything under the reinstated 2018 will, despite their parents being disqualified.Lanzce and Stacey’s legal team has also indicated that an appeal remains a possibility. According to subsequent reporting by The Spokesman-Review, the siblings’ attorneys later notified the other parties of their intention to appeal. What began as a dispute over a will that left one son with just $1,000 has now become a legal battle over a family fortune that could approach $1 billion.
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