What to do when an United Bank account holder dies
Report the death to United Bank's Customer Care at 1-800-327-9862
What happens to United Bank accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with United Bank's Customer Care (1-800-327-9862) to claim the funds.
The claim process begins with a phone call to 1-800-327-9862. Have the account holder's full name, account numbers, and the death certificate available when making initial contact.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with United Bank:
Filing a claim
What happens to each kind of account3
- Joint account with survivorship
Joint accounts are held with right of survivorship unless law or a written agreement says otherwise. When one holder dies the funds belong to the surviving holders, and the bank may treat the account as theirs alone.1
A joint account opened online is with right of survivorship by default. The Online Account Creation Team changes that option on request after the application.2
- Payable-on-death account
Payable-on-death beneficiaries take the funds at the death of the owner, or of the last surviving joint owner. Several beneficiaries share equally, and a beneficiary who dies first has that share go to the others, unless law requires otherwise.1
- Fiduciary account
An estate account is opened by a fiduciary for a formal estate that has its own IRS taxpayer identification number. The bank may ask for more documents before it opens one.1
State law on paying a balance without lettersGeorgia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
- Georgia
O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239
Georgia law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Paid to: the surviving spouse; else the children; else the father and mother; else the brothers and sisters (subsection (b))
Limit: $15,000 held at the institution
Paid to: providers of funeral services and of services for the last illness (subsection (c))
Limit: $15,000 held at the institution
When: if no application for the deposit is made by any person named in subsection (b) of this Code section within 45 days from the death of the intestate depositor
The section applies where the person died without a will. The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
- Pennsylvania
20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(b)
Pennsylvania law directs a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(b)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $20,000 held at the institution
When: at any time after the death of a depositor, member or certificate holder
Paid to: the spouse; any child; the father or mother; any sister or brother
The section sets further conditions.
- West Virginia
W. Va. Code § 44-1-28(c), (d)
West Virginia law permits a bank to pay from a deceased depositor's balance on an affidavit, without letters testamentary or letters of administration.W. Va. Code § 44-1-28(c), (d)Verified Oct 3, 2026View source
Limit: $5,000 per account
When: 120 days after the death
Paid to: the decedent’s surviving spouse, if any; if no spouse survived the decedent, the distributees of the decedent under the laws of the State of West Virginia, as established by an affidavit to that effect (in that order)
The section permits the payment. It does not require the bank to make it. The section sets further conditions.
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- United Wealth Management, Fiduciary & Trust Services
Estates and trusts where the bank is named corporate executor or trustee3
What United Bank's agreement and guidance say9
- Telling the institution
United Bank may keep honoring checks, items and instructions until it knows of the death and has had a reasonable opportunity to confirm and act on it.1
- What it does when notified
If the bank believes an account holder has died it may restrict the account.1
- Payments after the death
Payments from certain government entities deposited after the death may have to be returned to the originator on notice.1
- Disputes between claimants
Where beneficiaries, survivors or others claim the funds, the bank may hold them until the dispute is resolved and may ask for indemnities, bonds or court orders first.1
- Debts owed to the institution
United Bank may set off account funds against a due and payable debt any account holder owes it, without prior notice where law permits. The right does not reach an IRA or funds held only in a representative capacity.1
- Powers of attorney
An agent on a single-owner account loses authority at the owner's death and takes nothing at death unless named as a payable-on-death beneficiary.1
- Dormant and unclaimed accounts
Where government records show every account holder has died, the bank may use a third-party processor to find others who may have a claim on the remaining funds before they go to the state.1
- Fees
The fee schedule charges $10 a month on checking after 12 months with no activity and on money market accounts after 24 months, $5 a month on savings after 24 months, and $25 an hour for research of records after a free first request.4
- Which state governs the account
The consumer terms are governed by federal law and, where federal law does not apply, the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.1
Not in United 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
United Bank's Customer Care can be reached by phone at 1-800-327-9862 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
(3)·
Data sourced from United Bank primary sources (20 pages reviewed). How we research.
United Bank death claims support
Customer Care
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TTY
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Estate planning articles
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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.
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Do I Need Probate?
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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.
