What to do when a OCCU account holder dies
Contact OCCU's Orange County's Wealth Management — 5-step process, 7 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Orange County's Credit Union, P.O. Box 11777, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1777
Member Operations Department (Account Settlement)
Orange County's Credit Union, Attn: MO Account Administration, P.O. Box 11777, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1777
When a member of OCCU passes away, the Member Operations Department (Account Settlement) handles the transition of accounts to beneficiaries or the estate. Accounts with Payable on Death designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate, while solely-owned accounts may require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
OCCU offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Follow these steps to file a death claim with OCCU:
Filing a claim
- Certified copy of the death certificate (the credit union will return the certified copy after processing)
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- For a death outside the United States: a Consular Report of Death from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate (foreign death certificates are not accepted)
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: provide the death certificate and beneficiary ID to claim funds directly. The credit union will make every effort to contact any POD beneficiary(ies) designated on the account Signature Card
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: provide the death certificate; the surviving joint owner retains the account (a new Signature Card is required), or the account is closed and funds disbursed to the joint owner if the deceased was the primary owner
- For accounts without beneficiary or survivorship with an executor/administrator: provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the court, and the distribution will be made in the name of the deceased member's estate
- For small estates (valued at $184,500 or less under California Probate Code 13100): the successor can provide a completed and notarized Probate Code 13100 Small Estate Affidavit or Declaration at least 40 days after the member's date of death
- For CDs: a joint owner may transfer the balance as-is into a newly established CD or cash it in without an early-withdrawal penalty; an individually-owned CD is disbursed to the beneficiary or estate
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 or Declaration pursuant to California Probate Code 13100 (estate valued at $184,500 or less)
- 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
Account settlement is handled remotely by the Member Operations Department at (888) 354-6228 ext. 7250, option 2 (Monday - Friday, 9 am - 6 pm; Saturday, 9 am - 2 pm); documents mail to Orange County's Credit Union, Attn: MO Account Administration, P.O. Box 11777, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1777. Under the Account Agreement's DEATH OR INCOMPETENCE clause, the member must notify the credit union promptly of a death; the credit union may continue to honor checks, items, and instructions until it knows of the death and has had a reasonable opportunity to act, and may pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten (10) days after death unless someone claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment. Orange County's Credit Union will make every effort to contact any POD beneficiary(ies) designated on the account Signature Card; accounts payable to more than one POD beneficiary are owned jointly by those beneficiaries with right of survivorship. For accounts with no POD beneficiary and no appointed executor/administrator, California Probate Code 13100 allows distribution via a completed and notarized Small Estate Affidavit for estates valued at $184,500 or less, at least 40 days after the date of death. A death outside the U.S. requires a Consular Report of Death (foreign death certificates are not accepted). Five downloadable settlement checklists (Trust Accounts, Deceased Joint Member, General Membership with Beneficiary, General Membership without Beneficiary, and Large Estate) are available at orangecountyscu.org/resources/account-settlement-guidance/.
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, Social Security number, 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), Orange County's Credit Union 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. Mortgage Loans: (800) 506-5070. Member Service: (888) 354-6228.
Prepare your letter of instruction to OCCU
OCCU 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 instructionProcessing timelines at OCCU: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by OCCU includes 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), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Under the DEATH OR INCOMPETENCE clause of the OCCU Account Agreement, you must notify the credit union promptly of a member's death. OCCU may continue to honor checks, items, and instructions until it knows of the death and has had a reasonable opportunity to act on that knowledge, and it may pay or certify checks drawn on or before the date of death for up to ten (10) days after the death unless someone claiming an interest in the account orders a stop payment. To start settlement, contact the Member Operations Department at (888) 354-6228 ext. 7250, option 2.
When a member with a POD (Payable on Death) designation dies, Orange County's Credit Union will make every effort to contact the named POD beneficiary(ies). The beneficiary can claim the account funds by visiting a branch with a certified copy of the death certificate and a valid government-issued photo ID. POD accounts bypass the probate process and pass directly to the named beneficiary. Accounts payable to more than one POD beneficiary are owned jointly by such beneficiaries with right of survivorship.
Under California Probate Code 13100, a successor of the decedent may collect personal property -- including credit union deposit accounts -- by small estate affidavit when the decedent's total California estate (excluding property passing to a surviving spouse, joint tenancy property, and other excluded assets) does not exceed $184,500 in gross value. The affidavit may be presented to Orange County's Credit Union at least 40 days after the date of death, along with a certified copy of the death certificate.
OCCU's Member Operations Department (Account Settlement) can be reached by phone at 1-888-354-6228 ext. 7250, option 2 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple OCCU accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Member Operations Department (Account Settlement) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from OCCU primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
Orange County's Credit Union, P.O. Box 11777, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1777
Member Operations Department (Account Settlement)
Orange County's Credit Union, Attn: MO Account Administration, P.O. Box 11777, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1777
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