What to do when a Westamerica Bank account holder dies
Report the death to Westamerica Bank's Customer Service Representatives at 1-800-848-1088
When an account holder at Westamerica 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 Westamerica Bank's Customer Service Representatives (1-800-848-1088) to access and distribute the funds.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Westamerica Bank:
Filing a claim
- A copy of the death certificate
- If you are the executor or administrator, a copy of your letters from the court
Required Documents
- Copy of the death certificate
- Court order of appointment (letters), for an executor or administratorWestamerica may ask for it.
- Relevant pages of the trust agreement or a trustee's certification of trust, for a trust account, if Westamerica asks
What happens to each kind of account5
- Joint account with survivorship
"When any account owner dies, the funds pass automatically to surviving owners."1
- Payable-on-death account
On a payable-on-death or Totten trust account, the surviving payees or beneficiaries take the account in equal shares, unless the bank's records say otherwise.1
- Trust account
The trustees of the trust are the account owners under the Deposit Agreement. Westamerica may ask for the relevant pages of the trust agreement or a trustee's certification of trust.1
- Account in one name
Where the account is in the deceased person's name alone with no payee, an executor or administrator acting under letters of administration is an account owner under the Deposit Agreement. Westamerica may ask for the court order.1
- Fiduciary account
An executor or administrator can open an estate account at Westamerica. The Deposit Agreement names executors and administrators among the fiduciaries who may hold legal title to an account.1
What Westamerica Bank's agreement and guidance say4
- Telling the institution
"You agree to immediately notify us about the death or incapacity of any owner or authorized signer on your account."1
- Payments after the death
The bank may keep honoring items drawn on the account until it receives written notice of the death that it finds satisfactory and has a reasonable opportunity to act. Even with knowledge of the death, it may pay checks drawn on the account for ten days after the date of death.1
- Deposits after the death
The bank may suspend, refuse and reverse transactions or deposits once an owner dies, including automatic federal direct deposits of benefit payments belonging to the decedent.1
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
A fiduciary who holds an estate or trust account agrees to indemnify and hold the bank harmless against claims arising from the fiduciary's handling of the account.1
Not in Westamerica Bank's published guidance2
- A procedure for reporting a death
- Whether the death certificate must be certified
Sources1
- 1.Deposit Agreement, ADV009 (REV. 2/26)
Westamerica Bank's Customer Service Representatives can be reached by phone at 1-800-848-1088 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Westamerica Bank primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
Westamerica Bank death claims support
Customer Service Representatives
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