Can I access my deceased mother's account by using her PIN to her debit card that she shared with me? She did not put me on her account. It has an amount of $3,000.00. Do I have to go through probate court?
Untitled
You don't have authority to access the account with or without knowledge of the PIN for the card. However, you may not need to resort to probate proceedings to claim the funds.
Contact the bank to ask if it is able to pay the balance in the account to you as your mother's next of kin. Some states have laws that provide banks the option of making such payments if the account balances are beneath the limit stated in the law.
The bank will require at a minimum a certified copy of your mother's death certificate, plus any documentation required under the state law and the bank's policy. If the bank is not able to make such a payment, you'll have to look into your state's probate procedures. Some states have simplified procedures for small estates.
BankingQuestions.com is a free service made possible by the generous support of our advertisers. Advertisers are not responsible for site content. Please help us keep BankingQuestions.com FREE by supporting our advertisers. When you see an ad for a product or service you may have an interest in, click through to learn more.
Accounts
Article
Q&A
Podcast
Video
Blog
Discussions
PDF
Powerpoint
You don't have authority to access the account with or without knowledge of the PIN for the card. However, you may not need to resort to probate proceedings to claim the funds.