Cancelling deceased person’s accounts.?
My grandmother passed away over a month ago. Nobody has taken initiative to be the executor of her estate. I was able to cancel a couple of her credit cards, utilities, telephone, etc., but most require proof from an executor that they are the executor, as well as the death certificate. I do not want to be the executor and am not sure anyone else wants to be. Should I be worried about her accounts that have not been cancelled? There have been late fees on a couple accounts because they cannot be cancelled. What happens if they just never get cancelled?
More Questions From This User See All
Answers & Comments
If random family members are going to take it on themselves to to settle some of your grandmother's affairs things are going to very confused and possibly screwed up very quickly. I suggest that you step up and offer to be the executor of record or stop functioning as the executor for some random accounts. As one with experience as an executor one VERY handy skill for the job is to be reasonably proficient in creating a spread sheet.
The actions you claim you have ALREADY taken mean you are ALREADY acting as executor. Claiming you want to do what you ask how to do is claiming you want to be the executor.
You have EXACTLY 2 options:
1. ABANDON what you are doing.
2. Petition the court to be named executor.
Anything else is literally criminal fraud.
Probate will appoint an administrator and do the job
She is dead, nothing can happen to her! you can send copies of her death cerificate to the relevent companies, but other than that, it is not your problem, what are your parents doing? it is down to them if she left no will.
If her creditors are not paid off the heirs will never inherit any of her estate. Get a probate attorney and have a judge appoint an administrator to serve as the executor. You might want the job, it usually comes with compensation.
More responsibilities. Sounds more like a curse than a blessing.
Nobody CAN take initiative to act as executor. Only the deceased can choose their executor by naming that person in their will. If there was no will, then the estate is settled according to the laws of the state, and an administrator is appointed by the surrogate or probate court. You may step forward and ask to be appointed administrator, but you should retain an attorney to assist, as should an executor. Technically, neither an executor or administrator has the legal authority do do ANYTHING with an estate until they receive written authority from the court. You shouldn't have been able to do the things you did. You need to be careful, things can come back on you.
Don't worry at all. Life takes care of it's self. You can rest and let go of the account.