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Prepare the letter of instruction BMO requests during estate or death-claim processing — addressed to its verified claims department with the required enclosures. PDF.
Step 1 of 3
Account settlement may only be requested by the account’s authorized representative. Select the capacity in which you are directing settlement of the decedent’s account. This determines which information you complete next.
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Send it to BMO's estate/claims department: BMO Bank N.A., P.O. Box 94033, Palatine, IL 60094-4033. You can reach the department at 1-888-340-2265.
Yes — BMO requires the mailed letter of instruction to be notarized. The prepared letter includes a signature block; have it notarized before sending.
BMO lists these among its required documents: Certified death certificate (multiple copies recommended); Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or trustee; Social security number for each beneficiary; Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD/TOD designation). The prepared letter includes an enclosure checklist drawn from BMO's recorded requirements.
POD/TOD accounts: 2-4 weeks after documentation received. Estate accounts: varies by complexity.
BMO provides its own letter-of-instruction form. We complete that official form with your information; you print, sign, and send it.
It depends on the capacity you are acting in. An executor or administrator encloses Letters Testamentary (when there is a will) or Letters of Administration (when there is not); a successor trustee encloses a certificate of trust; a successor under a small estate encloses that state’s small estate affidavit. The prepared letter lists the proof-of-authority document for your role alongside the institution’s required documents.
A letter of instruction is the written request an institution asks for when settling a deceased customer’s account. It identifies the decedent and the account, states the capacity you are acting in, and tells the institution what to do with the account.
