What to do when a CommerceOne Bank account holder dies
Report the death to CommerceOne Bank's Client Services at 1-205-719-5750
When an account holder at CommerceOne Bank 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 CommerceOne Bank's Client Services (1-205-719-5750) to access and distribute the funds.
Claims can be filed by phone (1-205-719-5750) or by emailing documentation to client.services@commerceonebank.com. Before reaching out, gather the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what CommerceOne Bank requires:
Filing a claim
State law on paying a balance without lettersAlabama
- Alabama
Ala. Code §§ 5-5A-38, 5-5A-39
Alabama law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.Ala. Code §§ 5-5A-38, 5-5A-39Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $5,000 held at the institution
When: 60 days after the death
Paid to: the surviving spouse of the deceased; the adult children and the person having the actual custody and control of the minor child or children of the deceased; the person or persons who, under the laws of Alabama, are the next of kin and inherit the personal property of the deceased (in that order)
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Not in CommerceOne Bank's published guidance13
- A procedure for reporting a death
- A department for deceased-customer accounts
- A claim form
- A list of required documents
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
- A mailing address for claim documents
- A fax number for claim documents
- An online way to report a death
- How long a claim takes
- A small-estate procedure
- Which court appointment document it accepts
- Terms in its agreements for a customer's death
- Deposit account agreement
CommerceOne Bank's Client Services can be reached by phone at 1-205-719-5750 and email at client.services@commerceonebank.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(4)·
Data sourced from CommerceOne Bank primary sources (34 pages reviewed). How we research.
CommerceOne Bank death claims support
Client Services
Phone
Office
Website
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your CommerceOne 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.
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.
