What to do when an IBC Bank account holder dies
Report the death to IBC Bank at 1-210-841-3000
After an account holder at IBC Bank 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 IBC Bank at 1-210-841-3000 with the proper legal authority documents.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with IBC Bank:
Filing a claim
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID, for the claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if probate is required
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust, if the account is held in trust
- Small Estate Affidavit, in place of full probate, for a Texas or Oklahoma estate that qualifies
- Proof of relationship to the deceased
Forms IBC Bank issues1
- Claim or distribution paperwork
Provided at a branch.1
What happens to each kind of account3
- Payable-on-death account
A payable-on-death beneficiary presents the death certificate and valid ID to claim the funds directly at the branch. Accounts with named payable-on-death beneficiaries process faster than probate estates.1
- Trust account
The successor trustee presents the trust agreement, or a Certification of Trust, and the death certificate to gain access.1
- Account in one name
Where there is no beneficiary or trust, probate may be required, and the claimant presents Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the court.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersTexas
- Texas
Tex. Est. Code § 152.051
Texas law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an order of the court, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.Tex. Est. Code § 152.051Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: a funeral home or the applicant, for funeral and burial expenses
Limit: $5,000 in total from every holder
When: the application may be filed "not earlier than the third day after the date of the decedent's death and not later than nine months after the date of the decedent's death"
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
What IBC Bank's agreement and guidance say4
- Powers of attorney
IBC "may continue to recognize the authority of the agent (attorney in fact) named in the Power of Attorney until such time as it has actual knowledge of the termination of the agent's authority."2
Actual knowledge "does not exist until the bank has had a reasonable time after receipt and acknowledgment of such notice of revocation to act upon it." The agreement names the notice address: Dennis E. Nixon, President, International Bancshares Corporation, P.O. Drawer 1359, Laredo, TX 78042-1359.2
- Debts owed to the institution
Under the agreement's joint-account clause, a pledge of joint-account funds as collateral by any authorized signatory "shall remain valid and enforceable after the death of the Authorized Signatory executing such pledge."2
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
Unclaimed accounts fall under the agreement's Dormant/Inactive and Abandoned Account clause: a $5.00 per month inactivity fee applies, and abandoned balances are remitted to the state.2
- Fees
IBC charges $25.00 per hour for account research and $5.00 per statement or item reproduction.3
Not in IBC Bank's published guidance3
- A claim form
- How long a claim takes
- Payments after the death
IBC Bank can be reached by phone at 1-210-841-3000 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(3)·
Data sourced from IBC Bank primary sources (32 pages reviewed). How we research.
IBC Bank death claims support
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Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your IBC Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
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