My grandma passed away and left me the executor of her estate. She has received several refund checks in her name since her passing. How do I cash them? My dad closed out her bank account a few days after she passed so there isn't an account in her name.
If the checks are smallish, like $78.90 from a utility co and $345.67 from a overpayment to health provider type of checks, it’s not going to be worth the time to deal with probate court and it’s options. If that’s what your facing you might want to google how your state deals with “Unclaimed Funds”. Most tend to have it so the $ goes to the state and has to sit or “cure” for a period of time (maybe 3 years) before it can be paid by the state to others. You or Sis might be able to get the $ when it goes to the state later on and into unclaimed. Like for my state - Louisiana- a few years back & post Hur. Katrina, our new Sec of Treasury did a series of unclaimed funds payoff events at malls throughout the state. With a huge printed list of names and amounts in the “newspaper of record” throughout the state & TV/radio spots touting the payoff days program. State coffers had checks from all sorts of payouts & due to Katrina lots more than usual as there was dead mail box stuff throughout the coastline & lower parishes. For our area it was a Lakeside Mall out in Metairie in adjacent Jefferson Parish. The lines were out the doors with folks from every demographic. You had to have some sort of documentation to show who you were and relationship or heirship to & the state had a list of what was acceptable for this. And it was not super rigorous documentation. State was issuing checks right and left and getting $ back to families. All states have a unclaimed funds system.
The estate is not and was not probated through the courts (I did get legal advice about this part) so I'm wondering if I take the Will and a copy of her death certificate to the bank if ill be able to open an account as her executor in her name?
The bank/credit union will not accept or cash checks made out to her, since she is now deceased.
Did your Dad give you any reason why he closed his Mom's account? What did he do with the money that was in the account, if any?
Did Grandmother's Will go into Probate, depending on the amount of assets? If yes, then nothing can be closed until Probate is finished. And that can takes months.
My own Mom passed in 2015, and a couple months ago I got a refund check. Oh dear, Mom's account had been closed since 2017. The check was so small it just wasn't worth my time and stress to see what could be done.
So your father and your GM were both signatories on the account, but you're the Executrix? I assume she and you didn't have any joint accounts together?
Have you filed her Will in Probate yet? You'll need to get Letters Testamentary, go to a bank (with her Death Certificate as well) and open an account.
If you don't have the Death Certificates, the funeral parlor manager can get those for you.
I'm more familiar with Trust management, so there may be other requirements.
There are a lot of experienced people here who can offer better suggestions.
It might not be a bad idea to ask someone in the Probate Court clerk's office to give you any informational pamphlets available for Executor/trix duties so you can get a good outline of what will be expected of you.