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What To Do When You Are a Surviving Spouse
CARS
Sole Ownership by Deceased Spouse
- Present to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles a death certificate
and letter from Probate Court stating that the will does not give the
vehicle to someone else. If the car is still being financed, permission
to transfer ownership must be given by the lienholder (bank or finance
company).
Joint Ownership
- If the title to the vehicle has both spouses' names,
then the surviving spouse must present Bureau of Motor Vehicles with a
copy of the death certificate and fill out forms available at BMV.
BANK ACCOUNTS
- A bank may continue to pay out on a deceased person's
account for 10 days after notification of death. However, a surviving
spouse can instruct a bank not to pay on checks if there is reason to
suspect fraud or misappropriation.
- Surviving spouses sometimes have difficulty accessing
the deceased spouse's account. If the bank account was in decedent's name
only the bank may require the surviving spouse to go through the collection
of personal property by affidavit process. (Remember this cannot occur
until a month after the death.) A spouse may gain access if he/she is
named personal representative in the decedent's will.
- There should be no problem with access to joint accounts.
- Payable at Death Accounts designate a beneficiary who
receives funds remaining in the account at the time of the account holder's
death. The beneficiary will normally be asked to present picture identification
to bank personnel.
SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES
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