First, you won’t believe how a family squabble over a fortune can expose the real gears of a billionaire’s empire—and this is where the drama truly unfolds. But here’s where it gets controversial: the fight over a will isn’t just about money; it’s about loyalty, memory, and who gets to shape a family legacy.
Rewritten Overview
In the summer of 2019, Spokane real estate magnate Harlan Douglass, who with his late wife Maxine built a vast property empire, paused at his own doorway and realized he’d lost his way. A longtime employee, Deanna Malcom, assisted him back to his office, and they both cried together. Malcom described the moment as extraordinarily difficult, noting she’d never witnessed dementia in someone she deeply respected. This emotional turning point came amid renewed contact with two adult children, Lanzce Douglass and Stacey Douglass Boies, after years of estrangement.
Meanwhile, Harlan’s eldest son Harley, who had worked with the family for decades, found himself cut out of his father’s updated plans. The Douglass family’s sprawling holdings—tens of millions in rent and lease income each month from hundreds of properties—are now the focal point of a lengthy Spokane County Superior Court trial that reveals intimate details about one of the city’s most powerful families.
The courtroom battle centers on how Harlan altered his will in 2019. Two pivotal meetings in the spring shaped the dispute. On April 22, 2019, Lanzce and Stacey met Harlan at a Tacoma attorney’s office, where Harlan signed promissory notes awarding each sibling roughly $45.9 million, plus notes granting $13.9 million to each sibling’s five children. These notes totaled about $155 million and were to be paid after Harlan’s death. Crucially, Harlan also designated Lanzce and Stacey as durable powers of attorney at that time.
In a second 2019 meeting, the same siblings witnessed Harlan signing documents to invalidate an earlier will that would have evenly divided the estate among Lanzce, Stacey, and Harley. The new will, signed in May 2019, shifted the shares: Lanzce would receive about 65% (over $400 million) and Stacey about 35% (over $200 million), with any other investments or life insurance money to be split evenly between Lanzce and Stacey. Harley was notably excluded from those 2019 meetings, and the will left him a token sum of $1,000.
Harley’s lawsuit seeks the court’s permission to revert to the 2018 will, which would have divided the estate equally among the three children. The case argues that Lanzce and Stacey exploited Harlan’s vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to secure control of the estate, turning him against Harley, the only child who had consistently shared a close relationship with him.
Opponents contend that Harley cannot prove undue influence or fraud, arguing that the May 2019 will reflected Harlan’s intent to treat his children differently based on previously substantial gifts and the evolving nature of his relationships. The legal drama also recalls a prior dispute from 2019 involving Maxine’s will, where Lanzce’s attempt to reallocate her estate to Stacey and Lanzce was later ruled invalid.
Characters and Family Dynamics
- Harlan Douglass: A self-made real estate mogul who built a multi-property empire with Maxine. His health declines in later years, affecting decision-making.
- Maxine Douglass: Harlan’s late wife, whose estate became a flashpoint in later disputes.
- Lanzce Douglass: A key actor in both the 2019 will changes and the related disputes over family inheritance.
- Stacey Douglass Boies: Lanzce’s sister, involved in the same 2019 arrangements and ongoing litigation.
- Harley Douglass: Harlan’s eldest son, initially part of the business and later disinherited under the new will, now pursuing legal restoration of his share.
A Controversial Crossroads
The case highlights the tension between family loyalty and business ambitions in dynastic wealth management. It raises questions about capacity, influence, and the ethics of using a parent’s vulnerability to secure larger slices of a fortune. And this is the part most people miss: even in families with shared history and success, personal relationships can become the primary leverage points that reshape a legacy.
Discussion Starters
- Do you think the presence of dementia should automatically trigger heightened scrutiny of a will, or should intent remain the ultimate arbiter?
- If you were advising a family in a similar situation, what safeguards would you implement to protect both the estate and fragile personal relationships?
- How should courts balance evidence of influence with the deceased’s demonstrated past wishes and gifts?
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