What to do when a City National WV account holder dies
Contact City National WV's City Wealth Management — 5-step process, 7 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Customer Care Center
City National Bank, PO Box 7520, Cross Lanes, WV 25356-0520
Customer Care Center
City National Bank, PO Box 7520, Cross Lanes, WV 25356-0520
When an account holder at City National WV passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with City National WV's Customer Care Center (1-888-816-8064) to access and distribute the funds.
To start, call City National WV at 1-888-816-8064. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate ready before you call.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
The death claim process at City National WV works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: provide the death certificate and beneficiary ID to claim funds directly without probate (WV Code 31A-4-33A)
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: provide the death certificate; surviving owner retains access to the account
- For accounts without beneficiary or survivorship: obtain Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or a Small Estate Affidavit from the court and provide along with the executor or administrator's ID
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator)
- Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the court
- For small estates: Small Estate Affidavit under the West Virginia Small Estate Act (WV Code 44-1A-1 et seq.; personal probate assets not exceeding $50,000 and no probate real property)
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
What to know at this institution
Visiting a local branch is the most direct way to initiate the estate settlement process. West Virginia deposit accounts with a valid POD designation pass to the surviving beneficiary outside probate under WV Code 31A-4-33A. Where there is no POD or survivorship, an estate that owns no probate real property and whose personal probate assets total $50,000 or less can be settled with a Small Estate Affidavit under the West Virginia Small Estate Act (WV Code 44-1A-1 et seq.) rather than a full estate administration -- WV requires at least 30 days since death if the affiant is the executor nominated in the will, or 60 days otherwise, with no personal representative appointment pending. City National Bank's City Wealth Management division can also assist with estate and trust administration, including serving as executor, trustee, or agent, handling inventorying and safeguarding assets, recordkeeping, court appearances, tax filings, and asset distribution.
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.
- Deceased borrower's full legal name and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form (obtained from mortgage servicing department)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: 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 surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), City National Bank 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. Contact the mortgage department at (800) 896-0769 for assistance.
Prepare your letter of instruction to City National WV
City National WV accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to City National WV's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
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 City National WV →How long the process takes at City National WV: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
City National WV requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator), and Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available), 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
When an account holder with a POD (Payable on Death) designation dies, the named beneficiary can claim the funds by visiting a City National Bank branch with a certified copy of the death certificate and a valid government-issued photo ID. Under WV Code 31A-4-33A, POD accounts bypass probate and pass directly to the beneficiary or beneficiaries who survive the owner. Beneficiary changes must be made in writing and delivered to the bank before the owner's death to be valid.
For accounts without a POD beneficiary or right of survivorship, West Virginia allows settlement by affidavit under the Small Estate Act (WV Code 44-1A-1 et seq.) when the decedent owned no probate real property and the aggregate fair market value of personal probate assets is $50,000 or less. WV requires at least 30 days since death if the affiant is the executor named in the will, or 60 days otherwise, with no personal representative appointment pending. Present the qualified affidavit, a certified death certificate, and your photo ID at a branch, or mail them to City National Bank, PO Box 7520, Cross Lanes, WV 25356-0520. Larger estates require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), City National Bank 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. Heirs should contact the mortgage department at (800) 896-0769 to request the Successor in Interest documentation package. Once confirmed as a Successor in Interest, heirs can continue making payments, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance. On a home equity line, the draw period ends at the borrower's death but the balance is not immediately due for a confirmed Successor in Interest.
City National WV's Customer Care Center can be reached by phone at 1-888-816-8064 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple City National WV accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Customer Care Center can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from City National WV primary sources (17 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Care Center
City National Bank, PO Box 7520, Cross Lanes, WV 25356-0520
Customer Care Center
City National Bank, PO Box 7520, Cross Lanes, WV 25356-0520
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