What to do when a HomeStreet account holder dies
Contact HomeStreet's HomeStreet Bank Customer Service — 5-step process, 7 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
HomeStreet
Subsidiary of Mechanics Bancorp (HomeStreet Bank merged into Mechanics Bank, 2025-09-02)
homestreet.com→
Phone1-800-719-8080
Mailing Address
HomeStreet Bank, 601 Union Street, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98101
WebsiteLearn more→
HomeStreet Bank Estate Services
Phone1-800-719-8080
Mailing Address
HomeStreet Bank, 601 Union Street, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98101
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified May 2026
What happens to HomeStreet accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with HomeStreet's HomeStreet Bank Customer Service (1-800-719-8080) to claim the funds.
Death claims at HomeStreet 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
The death claim process at HomeStreet works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Notify HomeStreet Bank of the account holder's death by visiting a local branch or calling 800-719-8080
2
Gather required documentation:
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
3
Choose the appropriate settlement path:
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: provide the death certificate and beneficiary ID to claim funds directly
- 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
4
If needed, open an estate account at a HomeStreet Bank branch to manage estate proceeds and pay bills
5
HomeStreet Bank will review submitted documentation and process the claim
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 as permitted under applicable state law
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
Visiting a local Mechanics Bank branch is the most direct way to initiate the estate settlement process. A branch team member can help open an estate account if needed to manage proceeds and pay estate obligations. Two of the bank's four states are community-property states (WA and CA), so jointly held assets of a married decedent may pass differently than the account titling suggests. Hawaii is a separate-property state by default but recognizes elective community-property treatment under the Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act (HRS Ch. 510), which can affect spouses who moved to Hawaii from a community-property state.
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.
1
Notify Mechanics Bank (servicer of legacy HomeStreet mortgages) of the borrower's death by calling 800-719-8080
2
Provide initial information:
- Deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
3
Request the Successor in Interest documentation package from the mortgage servicing department
4
Complete and return the Successor in Interest form with supporting documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
5
Mechanics Bank will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest under CFPB Regulation X (12 C.F.R. § 1024.31)
6
Once confirmed, choose from available options:
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
7
Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
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)
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3), Mechanics Bank (as servicer of legacy HomeStreet mortgages) 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 treated as borrowers under CFPB Regulation X. Call 800-719-8080 to reach mortgage servicing.
How long the process takes at HomeStreet: 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.
HomeStreet 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
Yes. Washington and California are community property states. Assets acquired during marriage are presumed community property regardless of whose name is on the account, and only the deceased spouse's one-half community share passes through the estate; the surviving spouse already owns the other half. A POD beneficiary designation on a community property deposit account can be challenged by the surviving spouse to the extent the funds are community property. Couples often address this with a community property agreement (WA) or by titling the account as community property with right of survivorship (CA Probate Code 28). Hawaii is a separate-property state, but the Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act (HRS Ch. 510) preserves the community character of assets brought into Hawaii from a community property state.
No, in the situations Congress carved out. The federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3) prohibits a residential lender from enforcing a due-on-sale clause when a property transfers (a) to a relative on the borrower's death, (b) to the borrower's spouse or children, (c) to a surviving joint tenant, or (d) into a revocable living trust where the borrower remains a beneficiary. Mechanics Bank, as servicer of legacy HomeStreet mortgages and HELOCs, must treat a confirmed Successor in Interest as a borrower under CFPB Regulation X (12 C.F.R. 1024.31). Call mortgage servicing at 800-719-8080 to start the Successor in Interest process; keep making the monthly payment in the meantime to avoid default.
No. IRAs (Traditional and Roth) cannot be retitled to a trust during your lifetime without triggering a deemed distribution and full income tax. The IRA must stay in your individual name. You can, however, name a trust as primary or contingent beneficiary by completing the IRA Beneficiary Designation form with the trust's full legal name, date established, and EIN. For the trust to qualify as a "see-through" trust under IRS rules and stretch distributions, it must be valid under state law, irrevocable on the IRA owner's death, have identifiable individual beneficiaries, and provide trust documentation to Mechanics Bank by October 31 of the year after death.
HomeStreet's HomeStreet Bank Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-800-719-8080 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple HomeStreet accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The HomeStreet Bank Customer Service can clarify what's needed for each account type.
HomeStreet
Subsidiary of Mechanics Bancorp (HomeStreet Bank merged into Mechanics Bank, 2025-09-02)
homestreet.com→Phone1-800-719-8080
Mailing Address
HomeStreet Bank, 601 Union Street, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98101
WebsiteLearn more→
HomeStreet Bank Estate Services
Phone1-800-719-8080
Mailing Address
HomeStreet Bank, 601 Union Street, Suite 2000, Seattle, WA 98101
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified May 2026
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