What to do when a Stockman Bank account holder dies
Report the death to Stockman Bank's Customer Service at 1-877-300-9369
When an account holder at Stockman Bank passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts 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 Stockman Bank's Customer Service (1-877-300-9369) to access and distribute the funds.
To start, call Stockman Bank at 1-877-300-9369. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate ready before you call.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Stockman Bank works as follows:
Filing a claim
What happens to each kind of account6
- Account in one name
When the only owner of an account with no pay-on-death beneficiary dies, the account belongs to that owner's estate.1
- Joint account with survivorship
On a joint account with survivorship, the deceased owner's share goes to the owners still living. Where a surviving spouse is one of two or more survivors, the spouse takes that share; otherwise the survivors split it evenly.1
- Joint account without survivorship
On a joint account without survivorship, the deceased owner's share is part of that owner's estate rather than going to the other owners.1
- Payable-on-death account
An account with a pay-on-death designation goes to the named beneficiaries outside the estate, once the owner dies or, on a joint account with survivorship, once the last owner dies.1
- Fiduciary account
An executor, administrator or conservator serving under a court order may open and run an account in that capacity. The bank does not become a trustee by holding it and does not police the letters.1
- Certificate of deposit
Stockman's certificate disclosure says the penalty for an early withdrawal can be waived when an owner dies, where the law allows or requires the waiver.2
What Stockman Bank's agreement and guidance say7
- Telling the institution
The account terms ask that Stockman be told promptly when anyone allowed to withdraw from the account dies.1
- Payments after the death
Checks dated on or before the day of death may still be paid for up to ten days afterward, unless someone with an interest in the account tells the bank to stop.1
- Disputes between claimants
If anyone challenges who owns the funds, even informally, Stockman may freeze the account until a court decides. It may also ask the district court in Custer County, Montana, or another proper county, to take the money and settle the claim.1
- Debts owed to the institution
Where the law allows, the bank may take money in the account, without first giving notice, to pay a debt an owner owes it that has come due.1
- Which state governs the account
The account terms are made subject to federal law and Montana law.1
- Fees
Account research costs $30.00 an hour with a one-hour minimum, a statement copy $5.00 and a cancelled check copy $1.00.3
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
After 24 months with no transaction by the customer, an account under $100 is charged $5.00 a month as dormant, and escheat processing costs $100.00.3
Not in Stockman Bank's published guidance8
- A department for deceased-customer accounts
- A claim form
- A list of required documents
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
- Which court appointment document it accepts
- An online way to report a death
- How long a claim takes
- A small-estate procedure
Sources3
Stockman Bank's Customer Service can be reached by phone at 1-877-300-9369 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(2)·
Data sourced from Stockman Bank primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
Stockman Bank death claims support
Customer Service
Phone
Hours
Mailing address
Website
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Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: probate petition, small estate affidavit, creditor notice and closing forms. Prepare each form for your state.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for your state.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
