What to do when a Bangor Savings account holder dies
Report the death to Bangor Savings' Customer Support / Branch Services at 1-877-226-4671
After an account holder at Bangor Savings dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact Bangor Savings' Customer Support / Branch Services at 1-877-226-4671 with the proper legal authority documents.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Bangor Savings:
Filing a claim
- Named payable-on-death beneficiary: request distribution of the account funds
- Executor or administrator: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Successor trustee: provide the trust document and trustee identification
- Small estate: provide a small estate affidavit
- A copy of the death certificate (ask 1-877-226-4671 whether a certified copy is required before paying for one)
- Supporting court documents: Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or a small estate affidavit
- A cover letter with the deceased account holder's name, account number and your contact information
Required Documents
- Death certificateA copy. Ask the bank at 1-877-226-4671 whether a certified copy is required before paying for one.
- Certified copy of the death certificate, if anyone held a power of attorney on the accountDeliver it promptly: it ends the bank's reliance on the attorney-in-fact's actions.
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimantThe beneficiary, executor or administrator.
- Account numbers for the deceased person's accounts, if available
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, for an account with no beneficiary and no survivorship
- Small estate affidavit, for a small estate
- Trust documents, including the successor trustee provisions, and the trustee's ID, for a trust account
- IRA beneficiary claim forms and distribution election forms, for an IRA
- Cover letter, when mailing documentsWith the deceased account holder's name, account number and your contact information.
What happens to each kind of account4
- Payable-on-death account
On a payable-on-death or ITF account the beneficiary has no interest or access during the owner's life. At the owner's death (on a joint account, the last surviving owner's), the funds pass in equal shares to the named beneficiaries then living; the agreement has no way to split them unequally.1
The bank may pay each living beneficiary directly or hand one check naming all of them to any one of them. The funds do not pass to heirs or under the will and stay subject to the bank's setoff and security interest. The bank need not tell a beneficiary the account exists, so a beneficiary must come forward.1
- Joint account with survivorship
When a joint owner dies the balance belongs to the surviving owners, subject to the bank's reimbursement, setoff and security interest; the deceased owner's estate has no interest. The bank may pay any owner whether or not it knows another owner has died.1
- Fiduciary account
A personal representative or trustee acting on an account must be designated as such on the signature card. Unless the bank has a complete copy of the court order or other document under which the account is opened, it may follow the fiduciary's instructions without checking them against that document.1
Payable-on-death and ITF designations are not available on any fiduciary account or on Maine ABLE Benefit Checking.1
- Certificate of deposit
The bank may waive the early withdrawal penalty "in certain circumstances, such as the death or legal incompetence of an owner." Otherwise the penalty runs from 45 days' interest on a 3-month CD to 24 months' interest on 48- and 60-month CDs; a 12-month CD forfeits 6 months' interest.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersMaine
- Maine
9-B M.R.S. § 427(8)(A)
Maine law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on proof the institution accepts, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.9-B M.R.S. § 427(8)(A)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $1,000 per account
Paid to: the surviving spouse; next of kin; funeral director or other preferred creditor or creditors who may appear to be entitled to the deposit or account
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Bangor Wealth Management
Professional estate administration and trust services for complex estates2
Phone: 1-800-585-6145
Email: wealth@bangor.com
What Bangor Savings's agreement and guidance say3
- Powers of attorney
Actions the bank takes in reliance on an accepted power of attorney bind the account holder if taken before it receives a signed written revocation, "a certified copy of your death certificate," or a certified copy of a court order declaring incapacity or appointing a guardian.1
- Deposits after the death
If the bank deposits an amount the account holder was not entitled to, such as a federal benefit paid for a month after death, it may deduct that amount from the account or from any other account the recipient holds at the bank, without prior notice.1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
Accounts that are not used, or whose mailing address is not kept current, may be presumed dormant or abandoned, may be charged an inactive account fee, and are escheated to the state.1
Not in Bangor Savings's published guidance1
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
Sources2
- 1.Important Information About Your Account, Revised 09/12/2026
- 2.Contact Us
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust.
- The deceased borrower's full legal name and loan number
- A copy of the death certificate (ask the servicer at 1-877-226-4671 whether a certified copy is needed before buying one)
- Continue making payments on the existing loan without assuming it
- Apply to assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Death certificateA copy. Confirm with the servicer at 1-877-226-4671 before paying for certified copies.
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Documents proving your ownership interest in the propertyA probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary.
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if going through probate
- Marriage certificate, if you are the surviving spouse
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-877-226-4671
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-7:00 PM ET; Saturday 8:00 AM-2:00 PM ET; Sunday 9:00 AM-2:00 PM ET
Mailing address: Bangor Savings Bank, P.O. Box 930, Bangor, ME 04402
Federal law on calling a home loan after a death
These exemptions apply to a loan secured by residential real property containing less than five dwelling units.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d); 12 CFR 191.5(b), 141.14Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- A lender may not exercise a due-on-sale clause upon a transfer by devise, descent, or operation of law on the death of a joint tenant or tenant by the entirety.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d)(3); 12 CFR 191.5(b)(1)(iii)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- A lender may not exercise a due-on-sale clause upon a transfer to a relative resulting from the death of a borrower.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d)(5)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
- A lender may not exercise a due-on-sale clause upon a transfer where the spouse or children of the borrower become an owner of the property.12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d)(6)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
A federal regulation sets further conditions on these transfers.12 CFR 191.5(b)(1)(v)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Not in Bangor Savings's published guidance4
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A claim form
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
- How long a claim takes
- The deceased borrower's full legal name and account number
- A copy of the death certificate (ask the servicer at 1-877-226-4671 whether a certified copy is needed before buying one)
- Pay off the outstanding balance
- Refinance the debt
- Negotiate repayment terms
Required Documents
- Death certificateA copy. Confirm with the servicer at 1-877-226-4671 before paying for certified copies.
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Documents proving your ownership interest in the propertyFor example a probated will, court order, deed, or trust document.
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if going through probate
- Marriage certificate, if you are the surviving spouse
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-877-226-4671
Mailing address: Bangor Savings Bank, P.O. Box 930, Bangor, ME 04402
What happens to each kind of account1
- Loan
The draw period ends when the borrower dies, and no further draws can be made.1
What Bangor Savings's agreement and guidance say1
- Fees
Paying the line off within the first 36 months (12 months in Rhode Island) costs a $450 early termination fee. There is no fee on a Vermont, Connecticut, North Carolina or South Carolina property, and on a Massachusetts property the fee is at most 2% of the line limit, up to $450.2
Not in Bangor Savings's published guidance4
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A claim form
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
- How long a claim takes
Sources2
- 1.Contact Us
- 2.HELOC rates and disclosures
Bangor Savings' Customer Support / Branch Services can be reached by phone at 1-877-226-4671 and email at bangorsupport@bangor.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(1)·
Data sourced from Bangor Savings primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Bangor Savings death claims support
Customer Support / Branch Services
Phone
Wealth Management (trust and estate accounts)
Debit card after hours (report a card for a deceased owner)
everblue credit card support
everblue credit card support from outside the U.S.
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Bangor Savings accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for your state.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
