What to do when a Patelco CU account holder dies
Contact Patelco CU — 5-step process, 6 required documents, and varies by account type and complexity. joint accounts with survivorship transfer immediately. the small estate affidavit path cannot start until 40 days after the date of death. pod and estate claims typically take several weeks.
Phone1-800-358-8228
Mailing Address
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-358-8228
Mailing Address
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
WebsiteLearn more→
Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts
Phone1-800-358-8228
Mailing Address
Patelco Credit Union, ATTN: Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts, 3 Park Place, Dublin, CA 94568
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When a Patelco CU member passes away, the Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts 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.
Death claims at Patelco CU can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Patelco CU requires:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Patelco by calling 800-358-8228 or visiting any branch location. Patelco's authority to disburse funds from an account with no joint owner terminates ten days after the LATER of the date of death and the date Patelco learns of the death, so give notice promptly and expect pending items to stop clearing
2
Provide a certified copy of the death certificate
3
Follow the process for the applicable account type:
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: the surviving owner automatically owns the money. Patelco closes the deceased member's Member Number; if the joint owner is eligible for membership, a new Member Number is opened and the proceeds move there, and if not, Patelco issues a check for the proceeds and closes the account
- For POD beneficiary accounts: proceeds pass outside probate. Named beneficiaries present a certified death certificate and government-issued ID, and must clear Patelco's Customer Identification Policy and OFAC screening before funds are released
- For accounts with no joint owner and no POD beneficiary, where the estate is subject to probate: Patelco issues a check for the account proceeds to the executor or administrator after it receives copies of Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- For small estates not subject to probate under Cal. Prob. Code Section 13000 et seq.: complete the Affidavit Declaration for Collection of Decedent's Account (form SHR_JP180023_REV.2025.06, for deaths on or after April 1, 2025). It requires that at least 40 days have passed since death, that no California estate administration proceeding is pending, and that the gross value of the decedent's California real and personal property (excluding Cal. Prob. Code Section 13050 property) does not exceed $208,850
- For deaths between April 2022 and March 2025, use the earlier affidavit version, which carries the prior California threshold
- For trust accounts: successor trustee provides certified death certificate, trust documents, and government-issued ID
- For IRA accounts: beneficiaries complete IRA beneficiary distribution forms
4
Sign the affidavit before a notary (the form carries a California All-Purpose Acknowledgement) and note that the signer agrees to hold Patelco harmless, jointly and severally, against any liability, loss, cost, or expense, including attorney's fees, arising from the payment
5
Patelco processes the claim and distributes funds according to account ownership and designations
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if personal representative)
- Affidavit Declaration for Collection of Decedent's Account, notarized (for qualifying California small estates)
- Trust documents and successor trustee certification (for trust accounts)
- IRA beneficiary distribution forms (for retirement accounts)
What to know at this institution
Under Patelco's Account Agreement (Member Handbook, effective July 1, 2025, doc code CORP_JP190007_2026.06), where there are no joint owners the credit union's authority to disburse funds terminates ten days after the LATER of (1) the date of the member's death or the appointment of a conservator, and (2) the date Patelco learns of the death or appointment. After it learns of a death, Patelco complies with applicable law and court orders in disbursing account proceeds and will honor stop-payment requests from any person claiming an interest in the account. Account proceeds pass automatically to any named Pay-on-Death (POD) beneficiary outside probate; POD beneficiaries are not allowed on UTMA or fiduciary accounts, and with multiple POD beneficiaries the proceeds are split in equal shares unless the member specified otherwise in writing. With no POD beneficiary or surviving joint owner, proceeds pass to the estate, and where the estate is subject to probate Patelco issues a check to the executor or administrator on receipt of Letters. When the member dies, the deceased member's Member Number is closed; a surviving joint owner who is eligible for membership gets a new Member Number and the proceeds are transferred there, while one who is ineligible or declines membership receives a check. A direct deposit of Social Security benefits received after the payee's death is treated as an erroneous deposit: Patelco returns it to the payor and deducts the amount from the account. For small estates that do not require probate under Cal. Prob. Code Section 13000 et seq., Patelco publishes an Affidavit Declaration for Collection of Decedent's Account (form SHR_JP180023_REV.2025.06) requiring a 40-day wait after death, no pending California administration proceeding, a gross California estate under $208,850 excluding Section 13050 property, notarization, and a joint-and-several hold-harmless indemnity in Patelco's favor; a separate version of the form covers deaths from April 2022 through March 2025. Both are on the forms page at patelco.org/contact-us/forms. Power of Attorney and estate matters are handled by Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts at 3 Park Place, Dublin, CA 94568 (the same address Patelco publishes for service of estate-related legal papers at patelco.org/contact-us/legal-papers). Contact Patelco directly for loan payoffs and credit card accounts held by a deceased member.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Patelco CU
Patelco CU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Patelco CU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Patelco CU: Varies by account type and complexity. Joint accounts with survivorship transfer immediately. The small estate affidavit path cannot start until 40 days after the date of death. POD and estate claims typically take several weeks. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Documentation required by Patelco CU includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if personal representative), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Patelco publishes an Affidavit Declaration for Collection of Decedent's Account (form SHR_JP180023_REV.2025.06) on its forms page at patelco.org/contact-us/forms. The April 2025 version, used for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, requires that at least 40 days have passed since the date of death, that no California estate administration proceeding is pending, and that the gross value of the decedent's real and personal property in California, excluding property described in Cal. Prob. Code Section 13050, does not exceed $208,850. A certified death certificate must be attached, and the affidavit must be notarized using the California All-Purpose Acknowledgement printed on page 2. A separate version of the form applies to deaths between April 2022 and March 2025 and carries the lower threshold in effect then, so pick the version that matches the date of death.
The affidavit contains an indemnity clause. In consideration of Patelco paying, delivering, or transferring the account, the signers agree jointly and severally to hold Patelco Credit Union harmless against any liabilities, loss, costs, or expenses it incurs by reason of the payment, including attorney's fees. The signer also affirms under penalty of perjury that no other person has a superior right to the decedent's interest in the property. If more than one person could claim the account, resolve that before filing the affidavit rather than after.
Per the Member Handbook (effective July 1, 2025), when the member dies the account and the accompanying Member Number are closed. On a joint account, the surviving owner automatically owns the money: if that owner is eligible for membership, Patelco opens a new Member account with a new Member Number and transfers the eligible proceeds to it; if the owner is not eligible or declines to join, Patelco issues a check for the proceeds and closes the account. Where there are no joint owners, Patelco's authority to disburse funds terminates ten days after the later of the date of death and the date Patelco learns of the death, and after that it disburses only in accordance with law or court order. Patelco will also honor stop-payment requests from anyone claiming an interest in the account, and it returns a Social Security direct deposit that arrives after the payee's death to the payor and deducts it from the account.
Patelco CU's Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts can be reached by phone at 1-800-358-8228 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Patelco CU accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Patelco CU primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
Phone1-800-358-8228
Mailing Address
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
WebsiteLearn more→
Phone1-800-358-8228
Mailing Address
Patelco Credit Union, PO Box 2227, Merced, CA 95344
WebsiteLearn more→
Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts
Phone1-800-358-8228
Mailing Address
Patelco Credit Union, ATTN: Dept. 110 - Specialized Accounts, 3 Park Place, Dublin, CA 94568
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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