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Home >> Safe Deposit Boxes
Safe Deposit Box Personal Information
My mother recently passed away and named her half-niece as executor of her estate. My mother told me she had personal information in her saftey deposit box for me that I would only see upon her death. Do I have the right to see the contents of her safety deposit box as her only living child? |
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 Safe deposit box laws vary widely from state to state, but the general rule is that when a box renter dies, the only party with authority to access the box and its contents is the executor or administrator of the estate. When a Will can't be located, most states permit a box to be opened for the sole purpose of searching for a Will, but nothing else.
Contact the executrix, and ask to be present when the box is opened, so that you can retrieve that information. It sounds like your mother kept that information in an envelope marked for your attention, with the intent that you would receive it, but understand that the executrix controls whatever is in the box, and you'll have to depend on her to identify that information and give it to you. It will be her responsibility to the estate to ensure that there is nothing in that information that might lead to other assets of the estate, so she will legally be able to review the entire contents of the box before handing over what she believes to be the information that you mother was saving for you after she passed away.
Published on BankingQuestions.com 8/18/08
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