What to do when a Bayer Heritage account holder dies
Contact Bayer Heritage — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and processing time varies by account type and complexity. pod accounts typically process faster than probate-dependent accounts. contact bayer heritage for specific timelines.
Member Contact Center
Phone1-304-455-4029
Toll-Free1-800-272-6003
Mailing Address
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Contact Center
Phone1-304-455-4029
Toll-Free1-800-272-6003
Mailing Address
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Services
Phone1-304-455-4029
Toll-Free1-800-272-6003
Fax1-304-810-5005
Mailing Address
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
Verified May 2026
When a Bayer Heritage member passes away, the Member Services handles the transition of accounts to beneficiaries or the estate. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate, while solely-owned accounts may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
To start, call Bayer Heritage at 1-304-455-4029. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate ready before you call.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Bayer Heritage:
Filing a claim
1
Contact Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union by phone at 800-272-6003 or visit any branch location
2
Obtain a certified death certificate from the funeral home or the applicable state vital statistics office
3
Choose the appropriate settlement path based on account type:
- Joint accounts with right of survivorship: the surviving owner retains access to the account
- POD accounts: beneficiaries present a death certificate and government-issued ID matching the beneficiary designation to claim funds
- Trust accounts: the successor trustee presents the trust document, death certificate, and government-issued ID; ownership of the account passes to the beneficiary upon the death of the last surviving trustee
- Accounts without POD or joint ownership: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the appropriate county probate court
- Small estates in West Virginia: inquire about small estate procedures under W. Va. Code 44-1A
- IRA accounts: named beneficiaries complete the separate IRA beneficiary distribution process
4
Complete any required claim forms provided by Bayer Heritage
5
Submit all documents in person at a branch or by mail to 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
6
Bayer Heritage reviews documentation and processes the account settlement
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required)
- Small estate affidavit (if applicable under state law)
- Trust documentation (if successor trustee is claiming trust accounts)
- IRA beneficiary distribution forms (for retirement accounts)
Account types addressed in the death claim process include individual accounts, joint accounts with right of survivorship, POD accounts, trust accounts, and IRA accounts. A trust account is not a part of a trustee's estate and does not pass under the trustee's will or by intestacy, unless the trustee survives all of the beneficiaries and all other trustees. For IRA beneficiary claims, separate distribution paperwork is required per the IRA agreement. After hours lost or stolen card support is available at 800-272-6003.
Expected timelines at Bayer Heritage: Processing time varies by account type and complexity. POD accounts typically process faster than probate-dependent accounts. Contact Bayer Heritage for specific timelines. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Bayer Heritage requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Largely, yes. At Bayer Heritage the Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designation applies to all sub-accounts held under the regular savings/member number, including share savings, checking, club accounts, and share certificates. The two exceptions are IRA accounts and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, which carry their own separate beneficiary designations that may name different people. If you want IRA or Coverdell funds to go to a different beneficiary than your deposit accounts, you must designate those separately.
If you designate unequal percentage shares and, at the death of the last surviving account owner, one or more named beneficiaries are no longer living, Bayer Heritage re-designates the unassigned shares equally among the surviving beneficiaries. If you designate equal shares (the default when no percentages are stated), the surviving beneficiaries simply split the funds equally. Percentages you assign must total 100 percent; if they do not, the credit union may default to equal shares or ask you to correct the form.
Yes. Bayer Heritage accepts a revocable trust's grantor Social Security number as the trust account tax ID, so a separate trust TIN/EIN is not required for a revocable trust. Irrevocable trusts and trusts that use their own EIN should supply that number. Only the named trustees may transact on the trust account; a beneficiary cannot withdraw funds before all trustees are deceased, and on the death of the last surviving trustee, account ownership passes to the trust beneficiary.
When a Bayer Heritage account has no POD beneficiary and no surviving joint owner, the funds pass through the deceased member's estate. The personal representative provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the appropriate county probate court along with a certified death certificate. For smaller West Virginia estates, ask Bayer Heritage about small estate procedures under W. Va. Code 44-1A, which can avoid full probate administration. Submit documents at a branch or by mail to 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055.
Bayer Heritage's Member Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-272-6003 and fax at 1-304-810-5005 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Bayer Heritage accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Member Services can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Member Contact Center
Phone1-304-455-4029
Toll-Free1-800-272-6003
Mailing Address
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Contact Center
Phone1-304-455-4029
Toll-Free1-800-272-6003
Mailing Address
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
WebsiteLearn more→
Member Services
Phone1-304-455-4029
Toll-Free1-800-272-6003
Fax1-304-810-5005
Mailing Address
Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union, 17612 Energy Rd, Proctor, WV 26055
Verified May 2026
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