What to do regarding a refund for deceased customer?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What to do regarding a refund for deceased customer?

We check the obituaries on a regular basis to see if any of our clients have passed so that we can be respectful of their family during a time of grief and not bother them with business requests. That being said, when a client of ours has a refund balance on their account and we would like to get it to their estate, what is the best method to do so? We would normally just send a refund in that person’s name and are happy to send it to that person’s spouse or child but we want to make sure of the legalities of it so we are not stepping on toes. We are not talking about a lot of money but it belongs to them not us and we want them to have it.

Asked on November 9, 2018 under Business Law, Washington

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 5 years ago | Contributor

Send a letter to the person's address, which will presumbly be forwarded to or picked up by the executor or personal represenative. State that you have a refund due the deceased and that if the executor or personal representative will forward you a copy of his/her court authority to act in that capacity (sometimes called "letters testamentary"), you will send a check for the refund amount made payable to "Estate of [Deceased's Name]."


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption