What to do when a SPS account holder dies
Contact SPS — 6-step process, 3 required documents, and sps asks for the death certificate and successor-in-interest document as soon as possible and does not publish a fixed timeline for updating a deceased borrower's account. confirming successor-in-interest status and completing an assumption, refinance, or loss-mitigation review can take several weeks to a few months depending on probate and the credit and income review.
SPS Customer Service (loan servicing)
General correspondence: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250. Account payments: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., Attn: Remittance Processing, PO Box 65450, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0450. Notice of Error / Request for Information / Qualified Written Request: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65277, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0277.
SPS Customer Service (loan servicing)
General correspondence: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250. Account payments: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., Attn: Remittance Processing, PO Box 65450, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0450. Notice of Error / Request for Information / Qualified Written Request: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65277, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0277.
SPS Customer Service (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest)
Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250
When an account holder at SPS dies, the executor contacts the SPS Customer Service (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest) (1-800-258-8602) to report the death and request the balance as of the date of death. The balance is a claim against the estate: it is paid from estate assets, in the order the state sets, before anything reaches the heirs.
The first step is contacting SPS at 1-800-258-8602 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with SPS:
Filing a claim
- A certified copy of the decedent's death certificate, AND
- A document establishing the identity and legal interest of the successor in interest to the property — for example, a signed will, deed, probate documents, small estate affidavit, trust document, or court order.
- Pay off the balance from estate funds, life insurance, or the proceeds of a sale.
- Continue the existing payments and take over the loan as a successor in interest. Under the Garn-St. Germain Act, transfer to an heir who occupies the home does not trigger the due-on-sale clause.
- Apply to assume the mortgage and become the primary borrower, subject to a review of credit and income, or refinance the balance into the successor's own name.
- Apply for loss mitigation — a repayment plan, modification, or forbearance — if the loan is behind. SPS uses the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac Form 710 Mortgage Assistance Application for these requests.
- Sell the home; the outstanding balance is paid from the sale proceeds at closing and any remainder passes to the heirs.
Required Documents
- A certified copy of the decedent's death certificate
- A document establishing the identity and legal interest of the successor in interest to the property (a signed will, deed, probate documents, small estate affidavit, trust document, or court order)
- The SPS loan number
What to know at this institution
A mortgage carries no beneficiary designation — the loan is a debt secured by the home, which is collateral. SPS publishes a dedicated deceased-borrower step in its Loan Account Maintenance FAQ ("How do I notify SPS of the death of a borrower?"): send a certified copy of the death certificate plus a document establishing the successor in interest's identity and legal interest, by mail to PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250 or by fax to (801) 269-4405 or toll free (866) 867-3019, and do not send originals. Under the CFPB successor-in-interest servicing rules (Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.30 through 1024.41), once SPS confirms a successor in interest, that person is treated as a borrower for most servicing purposes — including receiving account information and applying for loss mitigation — without being required to assume personal liability for the debt. Under the Garn-St. Germain Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3(d)(5)), a relative who inherits and occupies the home may take over the mortgage without the due-on-sale clause being enforced. SPS does not publish a fill-in deceased-borrower claim form, so the survivor or estate representative submits their own written notification with the supporting documents (user-drafted).
Prepare your letter of instruction to SPS
SPS accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to SPS's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at SPS: SPS asks for the death certificate and successor-in-interest document as soon as possible and does not publish a fixed timeline for updating a deceased borrower's account. Confirming successor-in-interest status and completing an assumption, refinance, or loss-mitigation review can take several weeks to a few months depending on probate and the credit and income review. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
To process a claim, SPS needs A certified copy of the decedent's death certificate, A document establishing the identity and legal interest of the successor in interest to the property (a signed will, deed, probate documents, small estate affidavit, trust document, or court order), and The SPS loan number. Death certificates and court documents must be certified copies—photocopies are not accepted.
Frequently asked questions
SPS publishes a deceased-borrower step in its Loan Account Maintenance FAQ. Send SPS a certified copy of the decedent's death certificate along with a document establishing the identity and legal interest of the successor in interest to the property — for example a signed will, deed, probate documents, small estate affidavit, trust document, or court order. Mail or fax copies to Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250, or fax to (801) 269-4405 or toll free (866) 867-3019. Do not send originals, because SPS states they will not be returned. You can also call Customer Service at 800-258-8602 with the loan number ready.
SPS asks for two documents: a certified copy of the decedent's death certificate, and a document establishing the identity and legal interest of the successor in interest to the property. SPS lists a signed will, deed, probate documents, a small estate affidavit, a trust document, or a court order as examples of the second document. SPS says it needs these as soon as possible in order to continue accurately servicing the account, and asks that you send copies rather than originals.
No. Mortgage debt is not discharged at death and does not pass by beneficiary designation. It is repaid from the estate, kept current by a co-borrower or heir, assumed, refinanced, or paid off from the proceeds of a sale. If no one keeps the loan current, SPS can pursue foreclosure to recover the debt — a risk that is heightened because SPS often services loans that are already seasoned or behind on payments.
Because SPS specializes in seasoned and default loans, an inherited SPS mortgage is more likely to already be delinquent. After confirming successor-in-interest status, SPS can discuss loss-mitigation options such as a repayment plan, loan modification, or forbearance to bring the loan current, using the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac Form 710 Mortgage Assistance Application. These requests are handled through the Assistance Programs line at 1-888-818-6032. Selling the home and paying the loan from the proceeds is also an option if keeping it is not affordable.
A transfer of servicing moves who collects the payments and administers the loan; it does not change the interest rate, principal balance, or other terms of the mortgage note. Loans are frequently transferred to SPS from the originating lender or a prior servicer. After a borrower dies, the deceased-borrower and successor-in-interest process is handled by SPS as the current servicer regardless of who originated the loan.
Call SPS Customer Service at 1-800-258-8602, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET and Saturday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM ET, with the loan number ready. Deceased-borrower documents (the death certificate and the successor-in-interest document) are mailed to Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250, or faxed to (801) 269-4405 or toll free (866) 867-3019.
SPS's SPS Customer Service (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest) can be reached by phone at 1-800-258-8602 and fax at 1-801-269-4405 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from SPS primary sources (3 pages reviewed). How we research.
SPS Customer Service (loan servicing)
General correspondence: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250. Account payments: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., Attn: Remittance Processing, PO Box 65450, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0450. Notice of Error / Request for Information / Qualified Written Request: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65277, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0277.
SPS Customer Service (loan servicing)
General correspondence: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250. Account payments: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., Attn: Remittance Processing, PO Box 65450, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0450. Notice of Error / Request for Information / Qualified Written Request: Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65277, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0277.
SPS Customer Service (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest)
Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., PO Box 65250, Salt Lake City, UT 84165-0250
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