What to do when an Ameris Bank account holder dies
Report the death to Ameris Bank's Customer Service Center at 1-866-616-6020
What happens to Ameris Bank accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Ameris Bank's Customer Service Center (1-866-616-6020) to claim the funds.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Ameris Bank works as follows:
Filing a claim
What happens to each kind of account3
State law on paying a balance without lettersFlorida, Georgia, Tennessee
- Florida
Fla. Stat. § 735.303
Florida law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit made under oath, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.Fla. Stat. § 735.303Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: family member (surviving spouse; else adult child; else adult descendant; else parent)
Limit: $2,000 held at the institution and $2,000 in total from every holder
When: not earlier than 6 months after the date of the decedent’s death
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
- Georgia
O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239
Georgia law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: the surviving spouse; else the children; else the father and mother; else the brothers and sisters (subsection (b))
Limit: $15,000 held at the institution
Paid to: providers of funeral services and of services for the last illness (subsection (c))
Limit: $15,000 held at the institution
When: if no application for the deposit is made by any person named in subsection (b) of this Code section within 45 days from the death of the intestate depositor
The section applies where the person died without a will. The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
- Tennessee
T.C.A. § 45-2-708
Tennessee law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on proof the institution accepts, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.T.C.A. § 45-2-708Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $15,000 held at the institution
When: 30 days after the death
Paid to: the executor named in any will known to the institution; in the absence of knowledge of a purported will naming a surviving executor: a creditor for expenses of the funeral; a creditor for the expenses of the last illness; the surviving spouse; the next of kin
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
T.C.A. § 30-2-103(b)(2)
Tennessee law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on proof the institution accepts, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.T.C.A. § 30-2-103(b)(2)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $10,000 held at the institution
When: six (6) months have passed since the decedent's death without an application being made for the appointment of a personal representative
Paid to: the surviving spouse of a decedent or a trust for the benefit of the surviving spouse; if no surviving spouse exists, the surviving children of the decedent as tenants in common or a trust for the benefit of any surviving children (in that order)
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere8
- Dovenmuehle Mortgage (Ameris Bank mortgage servicing)
Ameris Bank mortgages, including mortgage-related death claims1
- Ameris Bank Construction Loans
Construction loans1
Phone: 1-888-596-2435
- Ameris Bank Consumer Loan Hardship and Collections
Hardship and collections on consumer loans1
Phone: 1-833-618-6519
- Ameris Bank HELOC Hardship and Collections
Hardship and collections on home equity lines of credit1
Phone: 1-904-292-5211
- Ameris Bank Consumer Credit Cards
Consumer credit cards1
Phone: 1-800-558-3424
- Ameris Bank Lost or Stolen Credit Cards
A lost or stolen credit card (option 2)1
Phone: 1-877-334-0460
- Ameris Bank Debit Cards
Debit cards1
Phone: 1-800-236-2442
- Argent Financial Group
Ameris Bank's former trust and estate administration business; an unaffiliated firm1
Phone: 1-800-375-4646
What Ameris Bank's agreement and guidance say2
- Fees
A Deposit Account Verification costs $25 per request, but the pricing guide states there is "no charge for verification requests related to housing or government assistance, medical or death related."2
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
A checking, money market or savings account is considered dormant after 12 months of inactivity and is then charged $5 per month, up to $60 per dormant occurrence.2
Not in Ameris Bank's published guidance6
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A department for deceased-customer accounts
- A claim form
- A list of required documents
- Terms in its agreements for a customer's death
- A small-estate procedure
Sources2
Ameris Bank's Customer Service Center can be reached by phone at 1-866-616-6020 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Ameris Bank primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Ameris Bank death claims support
Customer Service Center
Phone
Mortgage Servicing (Dovenmuehle)
Consumer Loan Hardship Assistance & Collections
HELOC Hardship Assistance & Collections
Lost/Stolen Debit Cards
Credit Card Fraud
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Ameris Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
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Digital Assets Recovery Letter
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Petition for Probate and Letters
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Notice to Creditors
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