What to do when a Westlake Financial account holder dies
Report the death to Westlake Financial's Westlake Customer Service Department at 1-888-739-9192
Notifying Westlake Financial of a death is not a claim for money — it is the step that stops the account, fixes the balance owed as of the date of death, and puts Westlake Financial on notice as a creditor of the estate. The Westlake Customer Service Department (1-888-739-9192) handles it.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Westlake Financial.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Westlake Financial requires:
Filing a claim
- Two owners on the original contract: the surviving account holder can have the deceased owner removed from the title
- Only one account holder, now deceased: Westlake will not process a name change, and a next of kin contacts the Customer Service Department at 888-739-9192 for guidance
- A clear statement of the reason for the name removal
- The 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number and the account number
- The name and address of the local DMV/Tax Collector's Office/Title Agency
- A photocopy of the death certificate
- Standard US mail: Westlake Financial, P.O. Box 843082, Los Angeles, CA 90084-3082
- Overnight or express mail: Westlake Lockbox Services, ATTN LBX #73082, 3440 Flair Drive, El Monte, CA 91731
Required Documents
- Photocopy of the death certificate, to remove a deceased owner from the title
- Signed letter from the surviving account holder, to remove a deceased owner from the titleThe letter clearly states the reason for the name removal and is emailed to titlechanges@westlakefinancial.com.
- The 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number and the account number, in the letter
- The name and address of the local DMV/Tax Collector's Office/Title Agency, in the letter
- Written authorization giving the address where the title should be sent, for a payoff, if the title is to be sent to a third partyWestlake asks for it together with the billing payment slip or the Westlake account number.
What happens to each kind of account1
- Loan
If two owners are on the original contract, the surviving account holder can have the deceased owner removed from the title with a signed letter and a photocopy of the death certificate. If the only account holder has died, Westlake does not process a name change and the next of kin calls Customer Service for guidance.1, 2
Westlake assists with name changes only on active accounts.1, 2
What Westlake Financial provides to the estate1
- Payoff statement
A payoff amount is available from Customer Service at 888-739-9192, through "WESTLAKE: MY ACCOUNT", through the Contact Us form after logging into "MY ACCOUNT", or through the Payoff Quote button in the site header.1
Not in Westlake Financial's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Sources2
Westlake Financial's Westlake Customer Service Department can be reached by phone at 1-888-739-9192 and email at titlechanges@westlakefinancial.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Westlake Financial primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
Westlake Financial death claims support
Westlake Customer Service Department
Phone
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