Washington State Demand Letter Template: Small Claims, Fees and RCW Notice Rules

Demand Letter (Washington)

[Your Full Name or Business Name]
[Street Address]
[City], Washington [ZIP]
[Phone] · [Email]

[Date]

Sent by first-class mail and certified mail, return receipt requested, No. [Tracking Number], and by email to [Email Address]

[Recipient’s Full Legal Name or Business Name]
[Registered Agent or Officer, if a business]
[Street Address]
[City], [State] [ZIP]

Re: Demand for payment of $[Amount] for [unpaid invoice / breach of contract / defective work / damaged property] — [Account, Invoice or Contract No.]

Dear [Recipient Name]:

1. Purpose of This Letter

This letter is a formal demand for payment of the amount set out below. I am writing to give you a final opportunity to resolve this matter before I file a claim in court.

2. What Happened

On [Date], you and I [entered into a written/oral agreement / you purchased / I performed services] under which [describe the obligation: what was promised, the price, and the due date].

[Describe the breach or loss with dates: the payment that was not made, the work that was not done, or the damage that occurred.]

I asked you to resolve this on [Date(s)] by [phone / email / letter]. As of the date of this letter, the matter remains unresolved.

3. Amount Owed

Item	Due date	Amount
Principal (invoice, contract price, or cost of repair)	[Date]	$[Amount]
Interest at [the contract rate of [Rate]% / 12% a year under RCW 19.52.010, if no rate was agreed in writing] from [Date] to [Date]	—	$[Amount]
Other charges allowed by our agreement (itemize)	[Date]	$[Amount]
Total now due		$[Total]

Copies of [the contract, invoices, receipts, photographs, estimates and correspondence] are enclosed.

4. Demand and Deadline

I demand payment of $[Total] no later than [Date — 14 to 30 days after you expect this letter to be received].

Payment may be made by [cashier’s check / money order / bank transfer / online payment link] to [Name and Address]. If you dispute any part of this amount, tell me in writing before the deadline which part you dispute and why, and pay the undisputed part.

5. If You Do Not Pay

If payment is not received by the deadline, I intend to file a claim without further notice [in the small claims department of the [County] County District Court / in [District or Superior] Court]. I will ask for the amount owed, interest, court costs and, where the law allows, reasonable attorney’s fees, including under RCW 4.84.250 for a claim of $10,000 or less.

6. Optional Paragraphs — Use Only the One That Fits

A. Bounced check: notice of dishonor (RCW 62A.3-520). Mail this paragraph, completed, to the drawer’s last known address:

NOTICE OF DISHONOR OF CHECK

A check drawn by you and made payable by you to [Payee] in the amount of $[Amount] has not been accepted for payment by [Bank], which is the drawee bank designated on your check. This check is dated [Date], and it is numbered, No. [Number].

You are CAUTIONED that unless you pay the amount of this check within fifteen days after the date this letter is postmarked, you may very well have to pay the following additional amounts:

(1) Costs of collecting the amount of the check, including an attorney’s fee which will be set by the court;

(2) Interest on the amount of the check which shall accrue at the rate of twelve percent per annum from the date of dishonor; and

(3) Three hundred dollars or three times the face amount of the check, whichever is less, by award of the court.

You are also CAUTIONED that law enforcement agencies may be provided with a copy of this notice of dishonor and the check drawn by you for the possibility of proceeding with criminal charges if you do not pay the amount of this check within fifteen days after the date this letter is postmarked.

You are advised to make your payment to [Name] at the following address: [Address].

B. Security deposit (RCW 59.18.280). I vacated [Address] on [Date]. More than 30 days have passed and I have not received the full and specific statement of the basis for retaining any of my $[Amount] deposit, the required documentation, or a refund. I demand the full deposit of $[Amount] by [Date]. If I must sue, I will ask the court for the full deposit, up to two times the deposit for an intentional refusal, and my costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.

C. Unpaid wages (RCW 49.48.030, 49.52.070). I worked for you from [Date] to [Date] and am owed $[Amount] in [wages / overtime / final pay] for [period]. An employer who willfully withholds wages is liable for twice the amount withheld, plus costs and attorney’s fees. I demand payment of $[Amount] by [Date]. I may also file a wage complaint with the Washington Department of Labor & Industries.

D. Claim against your own insurer (RCW 48.30.015(8)). This letter is my written notice, sent to you and to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, of the basis for an action under the Insurance Fair Conduct Act: [describe the unreasonable denial or the violation of the claims handling rules, with claim number and dates]. If this is not resolved within 20 days after you receive this notice, I may file suit without further notice.

7. Preservation of Evidence

Please keep all documents, messages, recordings and electronic data related to this matter until it is resolved.

8. Reservation of Rights

This letter does not waive any of my rights or remedies, all of which are reserved.

Sincerely,

___________________________
[Your Full Name]
[Title, if signing for a business]

Enclosures: [List documents]
cc: [Office of the Insurance Commissioner, for paragraph 6D]

Before You Send It (Delete This Section)

• Keep the proof of mailing. For the check notice the 15 days run from the postmark; for an IFCA notice the insurer and the Commissioner are deemed to receive it three business days after mailing.

• Ask for an amount you can prove. Prejudgment interest in Washington is available only on liquidated sums, and fees under RCW 4.84.250 turn on how your recovery compares with your settlement offer.

• Check the deadline to sue. Six years on a written contract or an account receivable (RCW 4.16.040), three years on an oral contract or for injury to person or property (RCW 4.16.080). A demand letter does not pause either period.

• Pick the court. Small claims hears claims up to $10,000 for individuals and $5,000 for businesses (RCW 12.40.010); larger claims go to district court (up to $100,000) or superior court.