What to do when a BMO account holder dies
Contact BMO's BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates — 6-step process, 9 required documents, and pod/tod accounts: 2-4 weeks after documentation received. estate accounts: varies by complexity.
Brand change
BMO Harris Bank N.A. rebranded to BMO Bank N.A., with the U.S. legal-entity name change effective September 3, 2023 (the simplified "BMO" branding was announced in September 2022), retiring the 140-year-old "Harris" name. Same legal entity, same account numbers, debit cards, online logins, and customer service numbers -- a brand update, not a merger. The rebrand followed BMO's February 1, 2023 acquisition of Bank of the West. Effective September 2023.
The procedures below reflect BMO's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Customer Service
BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033
BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates
Death Claims
BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033
After an account holder at BMO 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 BMO's Death Claims at 1-888-340-2265 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claims at BMO can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at BMO:
Filing a claim
- For branch accounts: call 1-888-340-2265 or visit a branch
- For BMO Alto online accounts: call 1-855-266-8100 or submit forms from alto.bmo.com/en-us/legal/
- For BMO Investment Services accounts: call 1-877-225-3863
- For BMO Wealth Management: call 1-800-472-0060
- For POD accounts: beneficiaries provide government-issued ID and SSN to claim funds
- For TOD investment accounts: provide certified death certificate plus beneficiary SSN and identification
- For non-POD/TOD accounts: executor provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- For trust-owned accounts: successor trustee provides trust documents and death certificate
- For BMO Alto accounts: submit Decedent Account Letter of Direction
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (multiple copies recommended)
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or trustee
- Social security number for each beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD/TOD designation)
- Trust documents and successor trustee certification (if trust-owned)
- Decedent Account Letter of Direction (BMO Alto accounts)
- Date of Death Value Letter Request (if needed for tax purposes)
- NJ Form L-8 or L-4 Tax Waiver (New Jersey residents)
- Small estate affidavit (if applicable under state law)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
BMO Alto (nationwide digital bank) runs its own decedent process, separate from branch accounts: call 1-855-266-8100, or download the notarized Decedent Account Letter of Direction and Date of Death Value Letter Request forms (May 2026 revision) from alto.bmo.com/en-us/legal/ and mail the completed package with an original death certificate to Alto, 320 S. Canal St., Floor 11, Chicago, IL 60606. Authorized representatives for Alto decedent claims are the joint account owner, payable-on-death beneficiary, executor, estate administrator, or small estate affiant; New Jersey residents must also submit an original Form L-8 or copy of Form L-4 (Tax Waiver). Branch deposit accounts are handled through customer service at 1-888-340-2265 or any branch. BMO Wealth Management provides dedicated estate settlement support for complex estates at 1-800-472-0060. BMO Investment Services (brokerage/TOD accounts, via LPL Financial): 1-877-225-3863.
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. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
- Call the mortgage line at 1-844-219-6003 or general customer service at 1-888-340-2265
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loan assumption
- Refinance the mortgage
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-844-219-6003
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), BMO cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options under CFPB mortgage servicing rules. General customer service: 1-888-340-2265. BMO Wealth Management: 1-800-472-0060.
Prepare your letter of instruction to BMO
BMO provides its own letter-of-instruction form. Answer a few questions and we complete that official form for you to print and sign.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at BMO →How long the process takes at BMO: POD/TOD accounts: 2-4 weeks after documentation received. Estate accounts: varies by complexity. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
BMO requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate (multiple copies recommended), Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or trustee, and Social security number for each beneficiary, 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
BMO Alto has its own decedent process separate from branch accounts. Call BMO Alto at 1-855-266-8100 (available 24/7) or download the Decedent Account Letter of Direction from [alto.bmo.com/en-us/legal/](https://www.alto.bmo.com/en-us/legal/). The form can be submitted by joint owners, POD beneficiaries, executors, estate administrators, or small estate beneficiaries. New Jersey residents must also submit NJ Form L-8 or L-4 state inheritance tax waiver. Request the Date of Death Value Letter using the separate form linked on the same page if you need it for estate tax filings. Alto checks are made payable to the estate or to the small estate beneficiary listed on the form.
On BMO marital deposit accounts with a POD designation, upon the death of either owner 50% of the account passes to the surviving owner and 50% passes to the POD beneficiaries. Any account owner may change beneficiaries at any time without the consent of other owners or beneficiaries. With multiple POD beneficiaries, each surviving beneficiary receives an equal share unless otherwise specified, and BMO issues a separate check to each. If no named beneficiary survives the last account owner, the balance is paid to the estate of the last surviving owner. BMO requires original signed POD/TOD forms -- fax or photocopy is not accepted.
Call the BMO mortgage line at 1-844-219-6003 (or 1-888-340-2265 for HELOCs) with a certified death certificate and documentation of your ownership interest in the property. BMO processes this through its Successor in Interest workflow, which is required under CFPB mortgage servicing rules. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), BMO cannot enforce the due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, a relative who inherits, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Once you are confirmed as a Successor in Interest, you can continue the existing payments, apply for loan assumption, refinance, or pay off the balance. For HELOCs, the draw period ends at the borrower's death even though confirmed successors are not required to pay the full balance immediately.
BMO's Death Claims can be reached by phone at 1-888-340-2265 and fax at 1-844-739-1152 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple BMO accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Death Claims to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from BMO primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033
BMO Wealth Management - Trusts & Estates
Death Claims
BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033
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