Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Ohio
Closing bank account of deceased
My mother passed away last month and didn't have a will. The only assets she had were personal property of little or no value and two accounts that contained little money. One of the accounts was with the long term care facility she lived in and they will be sending the money from this account to the funeral home for final expenses. The other account, however, was in a ''traditional'' bank. I spoke with them today and was told that in order to close the account I would have to contact an attorney and file papers with the court. There is less than $100 in this account so it hardly seems worth the attorney fees that would be incurred. Am I required to close this account or do I have other options? Since funds for the funeral expenses are very limited the family would like to be able to use the money in the account for this purpose, but not if it means making an even larger debt.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Closing bank account of deceased
You can go to the local probate court where your mother resided and do a short form release from administration. They should help walk you through the process so you can turn the money over to the funeral home since the funeral home is a preferred creditor. That paperwork is what the bank will want to see.
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