Are You The Only Person on Your Bank Account?

If so, you'll need to read this.

I went to the bank today to close my husband's account. As you might recall, he passed away in December. I should have done this a month ago, but finally go around to it today.

I took a copy of his death certificate, the last statement, and a copy of our marriage license with me. Since I didn't change my name when we married I thought I might have to prove our relationship, even though we have a joint account at that bank.

After sitting for about ten minutes waiting for someone to wait on me, an employee asked if I needed help. Well, I was in a bank, not at a teller's window...duh! I explained that I wanted to close my husband's checking account because of his death. I gave her the statement and a certified copy of the death certificate. She asked if I was on the account. I said no, it was his account and I wasn't on it. Were you married? Yes. But you aren't on the account. No, I am not. Do you have an account with us? Yes, I have a personal account and we have (had?) a joint account. She opened his account in her commputer and said, "You aren't listed on the account." (This is now the third time it's been said that I wasn't on the account).

She asked if he had a will. I explained that this bank account was pretty much all he had that was in his own name and he never felt a will was necessary (nor did I to tell the truth). I found out, that since he died without a will (more about that another time), I would have to get a letter from a judge giving the bank the authority to close the account and turn his money (all $106.00) over to me.

I asked if this was a bank policy or if it was Florida statute. After checking with another bank employee, I was told that it was statutory. I said I understood that the bank and its employees had no choice, but this was stupid when you're talking about $106.00. It's not a fortune by any means. Sure, there are people who would love to have that much money, but it's not enough to help anyone for more than a few weeks at most. Then I admittedly threw a hissy fit and stormed out of the bank.

Now, in order to close the account I'm going to have to file documents with the Circuit Court which will probably cost more than what's in that account. I'll be contacting the court next week to find out just what I have to file and how much it will cost, but this is stupid.

I will also be contacting my local legislator to see if a bill changing this stupid statute can't be introduced. My suggestion will be that a spouse or other next-of-kin wanting to close a decedent's bank account of say, less that $500, upon presentation of appropriate documents, can simply close the account and receive the money in the account.

So, my advice to anyone out there who has a bank account soley in their own name, immediately assign someone else to the account, perhaps as beneficiary. It doesn't mean that that person can empty out the account (but that's exactly what happened to a friend of mine about ten years ago and the reason I wasn't on my husband's account and he wasn't on mine), but others may avoid this from happening to them.

We had personal accounts so that we would each have money that was our own, separate from the joint account. My husband's oonly income was a monthly disability check, most of which he transferred into the joint acount. Look, that $106 won't make or break me by any means, But it's sad that that little bit of money that my husband would have wanted me to have will be eaten up by bank fees in a few months. And I'll be paying the Circuit Court more that than (I think) to obtain it.

Good grief, I changed our mortgage to my name with no trouble. I just had to provide the death certificate and a letter from me asking to remove his name from the mortgage. I had his van re-titled to me with no trouble.

Oh, and after my hissy fit, I had to go back into the bank in order to have his name removed from our joint account. Now that they would do with simply his death certificate and my driver's licence. And an apology from me for throwing the fit to begin with. And, an admonation for "throwing" papers at her, which I really didn't do. I do admit to tossing them on her desk. Again, I apologized for my behavior. I don't normally act like this, but I was frustrated with the lack of help.

And, they never did express any condolences on my loss. Not before my fit or after.