What to do when a Unitus CCU account holder dies
Contact Unitus CCU — 9-step process, 7 required documents, and 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Member Services (deceased member accounts)
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
After a member of Unitus CCU dies, the Member Services (deceased member accounts) manages the transfer of accounts. POD-designated and trust-owned accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. Accounts held solely in the member's name may require probate court documents—Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration—before funds can be released.
Unitus CCU offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Unitus CCU:
Filing a claim
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- For accounts with POD beneficiary: provide the death certificate and beneficiary ID to claim funds directly; Section 10 pays multiple surviving POD beneficiaries in equal shares, and POD designations do not apply to IRAs or to accounts held by or on behalf of a formal trust
- For joint accounts: Section 6 gives ALL joint accounts a right of survivorship, so the funds pass to the surviving owner(s) on the death certificate -- but a surviving owner's interest remains subject to the credit union's statutory lien for the deceased owner's obligations and to any security interest or pledge the deceased owner granted, even if the survivor never consented to it
- For trust accounts: the successor trustee presents the Certification of Trust (or the trust agreement) showing the successor-trustee provisions, plus photo ID; under Section 8 funds may be released to any one trustee acting alone, and the trustee must notify Unitus in writing of the change of trustee
- For accounts without beneficiary or survivorship: obtain Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or a small estate affidavit and provide it with the executor or administrator's ID
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator)
- Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available)
- For accounts without beneficiary: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the court
- For small estates: Small Estate Affidavit as permitted under applicable state law
- For trust accounts: trust documentation including successor trustee provisions and trustee ID
- For IRA accounts: IRA beneficiary claim forms and applicable distribution election forms
What to know at this institution
The governing document is the Unitus Membership & Account Agreement, effective October 1, 2025 (https://www.unitusccu.com/assets/uploads/membership-account-agreement.pdf). Its Section 29 (Death or Incompetence) is where the real terms live: Unitus may hold the account until it confirms the successor's identity, may debit and return post-death deposits (salary, pension, Social Security, SSI) to the payer, may require any claimant to indemnify it, and may require the deceased member's account to be CLOSED WITHIN SIX MONTHS of death. For Washington residents the agreement goes further -- the member irrevocably waives the right to dispose of any Unitus account by will, so a Washington member's Unitus accounts pass by joint survivorship or POD designation and a bequest in the will does not reach them. Section 10 pays multiple surviving POD beneficiaries in equal shares and excludes IRAs and formal trust accounts from POD designations, and the credit union has no obligation to notify a beneficiary that an account exists. Section 6 makes every joint account a survivorship account, with the survivor's interest subject to the credit union's statutory lien for the deceased owner's obligations and to any security interest or pledge the deceased owner granted. Under Section 23, Unitus will not recognize an agent under a power of attorney without written authorization and a copy of the POA on file -- and a POA dies with the principal, so after death the authority comes from Letters, a POD designation, or the trust. Visiting a local branch is the most direct way to start; a branch team member can open an estate account to hold proceeds and pay estate obligations.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
- Deceased borrower's full legal name and loan number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Continue making payments on the existing loan
- Assume the loan
- Refinance in your own name
- Pay off the remaining balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form (obtained from mortgage servicing department)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. § 1701j-3), Unitus cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Unitus CCU
Unitus CCU accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Unitus CCU's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at Unitus CCU: 5-10 business days after all documentation is received, though complex estates may take longer. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Unitus CCU includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Valid government-issued photo ID for the claimant (beneficiary, executor, or administrator), and Account information for the deceased (account numbers if available), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Not indefinitely. Section 29 of the Membership & Account Agreement lets Unitus require the heir, legal representative, or claimant of a deceased member to close the deceased member's account within six months of the member's death. On notice of the death, Unitus may also place a hold on the account and refuse deposits or withdrawals until it confirms the successor's identity, and it may require anyone claiming the funds to indemnify the credit union. Plan for a short window: open a separate estate account for money that has to sit through probate rather than relying on the decedent's own account.
Yes. Section 29 provides that if a deposit payable to the decedent -- salary, pension, Social Security, or Supplemental Security Income -- is credited to the account after the date of death, Unitus may debit the account for that deposit and return it to the payer. Do not spend post-death benefit deposits. Report the death to the Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213) and to any pension or payroll provider promptly, and expect the reversal to reduce the account balance the estate ultimately receives.
Under Section 8 of the Membership & Account Agreement, Unitus may require the original trust agreement but will accept a Certification of Trust as evidence of the trust's existence and the trustee's authority. The trustee warrants that the trust or trustee qualifies for Unitus membership -- the field of membership is 15 Oregon counties plus the entire state of Washington. Funds may be released to any one trustee acting alone, and Unitus may keep relying on a trustee's direction until it receives WRITTEN notice revoking that trustee's authority, so a successor trustee must deliver written notice of the change (with the death certificate, if the change is caused by a death). Unitus does not act as trustee and has no duty to inquire into a trustee's powers.
Unitus CCU's Member Services (deceased member accounts) can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-0900, email at hello@unitusccu.com, and fax at 1-503-423-8345 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Unitus CCU accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Member Services (deceased member accounts) can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Unitus CCU primary sources (13 pages reviewed). How we research.
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Contact Center
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Member Services (deceased member accounts)
Unitus Community Credit Union, P.O. Box 1937, Portland, OR 97207
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Unitus CCU accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
More tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
