What to do when a SLS account holder dies
Contact SLS — 5-step process, and 6 required documents
SLS Customer Care
Phone1-800-315-4757
Mailing Address
Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, P.O. Box 636005, Littleton, CO 80163-6005
WebsiteLearn more→
SLS Customer Care
Phone1-800-315-4757
Mailing Address
Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, P.O. Box 636005, Littleton, CO 80163-6005
WebsiteLearn more→
SLS Customer Care (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest)
Phone1-800-315-4757
Mailing Address
Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, P.O. Box 636005, Littleton, CO 80163-6005
Verified Jul 2026
When a SLS account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the mortgage loans were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with SLS's SLS Customer Care (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest) (1-800-315-4757) to access and distribute the funds.
Before contacting SLS, have the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any available account numbers ready. A certified death certificate is required to initiate the claim.
Death claim process
The death claim process at SLS works as follows:
Filing a claim
1
Notify SLS that a borrower on the loan has died. A servicer does not release loan details until it confirms that the person contacting it is a successor in interest to the borrower or the executor/administrator of the estate.
2
Call SLS customer care at 800-315-4757 (Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM MT) to report the death and ask what documentation SLS needs to add you to the account and release information.
3
Send SLS a written request, in your own letter, identifying the loan and the deceased borrower and stating your relationship and authority. Include copies of the documents that establish the death and your standing:
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Evidence of your relationship or ownership interest (marriage certificate, deed, or recorded Transfer on Death / Life Estate deed if the property passed automatically)
- The will, if one exists
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration if an estate has been opened
- For an intestate estate with no court appointment, an affidavit of heirship where recognized
4
Request the current payoff amount and any past-due / reinstatement figures. Once SLS confirms your status, it can provide the payoff and account information; under RESPA (12 U.S.C. 2605(e); 12 CFR 1024.36) a written request for information must be acknowledged and answered within the regulatory timeframes.
5
Choose how to resolve the loan:
- Pay off the balance from estate funds, life insurance, or the proceeds of a sale
- Assume the existing loan and keep the payments current (see the successor / Garn-St. Germain protection below)
- Apply for loss mitigation (repayment plan, modification, or forbearance) if the loan is behind
- Sell the property and pay the loan from the proceeds
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Evidence of relationship or ownership interest (marriage certificate, deed), when relevant
- Will or last testament, if one exists
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if an estate is opened
- Recorded Transfer on Death or Life Estate deed, if the property transferred automatically
- Affidavit of heirship for an intestate estate, where recognized
What to know at this institution
A mortgage carries no beneficiary designation - the loan is a debt secured by the home. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3(d)), a relative who inherits the home and occupies it may take over the mortgage without the lender enforcing the due-on-sale clause; the same protection covers transfers to a surviving spouse or joint tenant and certain transfers into the borrower's living trust. Under the CFPB successor-in-interest servicing rules (Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.30 through 1024.41), once SLS 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. SLS does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form, so the survivor or estate representative submits their own written notification with supporting documents and requests the payoff by phone at 800-315-4757.
Prepare your letter of instruction to SLS
SLS accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to SLS's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionSLS requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Evidence of relationship or ownership interest (marriage certificate, deed), when relevant, and Will or last testament, if one exists, 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
Call SLS customer care at 800-315-4757 (Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM MT) to report the death, then send a written letter identifying the loan and enclosing a copy of the death certificate and documents showing your authority over the loan or property. SLS will not release loan details until it confirms you are a successor in interest to the borrower or the executor or administrator of the estate.
A successor in interest is someone who receives an ownership interest in the home after the borrower dies - for example a surviving spouse, a joint owner, or an heir who inherits the property. Under the CFPB successor-in-interest rules (Regulation X, 12 CFR 1024.30 through 1024.41), once SLS confirms a successor in interest, that person can receive account information and apply for loss mitigation and is treated as a borrower for most servicing purposes, without being required to assume personal liability for the debt. Confirmation requires documents such as a deed, the will, Letters Testamentary or Administration, or an affidavit of heirship.
No. A mortgage is a debt secured by the home, not an asset with a payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. When the borrower dies the loan does not disappear; it becomes an obligation that the estate or the person who inherits the home resolves through payoff, assumption, loss mitigation, or sale.
The federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3(d)) prevents a lender from enforcing the due-on-sale clause when a relative who inherits the home moves in and takes over the mortgage. The same protection covers a transfer to a surviving spouse or joint tenant and certain transfers into the borrower's living trust. This lets an inheriting family member continue the existing loan rather than being forced to refinance or pay it off immediately. SLS still requires documentation confirming the death and your ownership interest before releasing information.
SLS asks for a certified copy of the death certificate plus documents that establish your standing: evidence of relationship or ownership interest (marriage certificate or deed), the will if one exists, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration if an estate is opened, a recorded Transfer on Death or Life Estate deed if the property passed automatically, or an affidavit of heirship for an intestate estate where recognized. Confirm the current list with customer care at 800-315-4757.
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. After a borrower dies, the deceased-borrower and successor-in-interest process is handled by SLS as the current servicer regardless of who originated the loan.
Computershare (through Computershare Mortgage Services Inc.) sold Specialized Loan Servicing to Rithm Capital. The transaction was announced on October 2, 2023 and closed in the first half of 2024, transitioning SLS's portfolio and operations to Newrez LLC, a Rithm Capital portfolio company. The sls.net site now carries SLS/Shellpoint branding, and the deceased-borrower process is handled through SLS customer care.
SLS's SLS Customer Care (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest) can be reached by phone at 1-800-315-4757 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple SLS mortgage loans, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The SLS Customer Care (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from SLS primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
SLS Customer Care
Phone1-800-315-4757
Mailing Address
Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, P.O. Box 636005, Littleton, CO 80163-6005
WebsiteLearn more→
SLS Customer Care
Phone1-800-315-4757
Mailing Address
Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, P.O. Box 636005, Littleton, CO 80163-6005
WebsiteLearn more→
SLS Customer Care (Deceased Borrower / Successor in Interest)
Phone1-800-315-4757
Mailing Address
Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, P.O. Box 636005, Littleton, CO 80163-6005
Verified Jul 2026
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