Cannot close deceased parent's apartment bank account

[Mark Hu]

After my mother's passing, Wells Fargo bank has locked up her business account. My sister, who is executor of her estate, cannot access it. I am cosigned on account, and have helped manage the account for decades. This has been going on for months even though we have been trying to comply with the paperwork. What are our options?

thanks

[Henry Clark]

Sorry about your mothers passing.  But I will respond from a business standpoint.

Read my post.  What happens if you die.

1.  The account should be set up as a TOD account.  If not:  redirect all future payments to a new business account with TOD.  Redirect all autopayments to vendors to the new account. Set it up as TOD.  The account should also have been addressed to her Trust.  Thus Executor could present Trust docs and access.

2.  Was her Estate in a Trust or just a will?  If a Trust, then talk with your attorney and review the Trust terms.  If a Will, you will have to go through Probate.

3.  Account, just because you are a cosigner, the Bank has still locked the account, correct?  Thus, funds will not be accessible until it goes through probate or if in a Trust, it grants authorization, and the bank will accept it.

4.  Now let's say you can't access the funds until it goes through probate which might take a year.  Do you have funds outside that you can access and keep the business going?  If not, can you or your sister cash flow the business.   If so, then have your sister as executor prepare loan documents between the estate and her/you.

5.  How much money is in the account?  Don't answer.  If just a little don't worry about it and it will delete itself.  If a lot, follow the above.

Key:

Both you and your sister, read my post.  Imagine this happened to either of you, what would that do to your families.