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Probate document when no probate required

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candg918

Member
What is the name of your state? OK

I have been tring to close inactive credit card accounts that I did not know my mother had. The credit reporting agency wants me to provide a death certificate (I have) and probate court document appointing me as executor (I don't have or need) in order to obtain a copy of or to make corrections to her credit report. I don't need to open probate as all my mother's property is in trust or POD account. I called the county probate division, and the clerk said they do not have small estate processing so I cannot get a probate executor appointment document.

What do I do now to deal with the credit bureaus?

Thanks.
 


seniorjudge

Senior Member
candg918 said:
What is the name of your state? OK

I have been tring to close inactive credit card accounts that I did not know my mother had. The credit reporting agency wants me to provide a death certificate (I have) and probate court document appointing me as executor (I don't have or need) in order to obtain a copy of or to make corrections to her credit report. I don't need to open probate as all my mother's property is in trust or POD account. I called the county probate division, and the clerk said they do not have small estate processing so I cannot get a probate executor appointment document.

What do I do now to deal with the credit bureaus?

Thanks.
Q: What do I do now to deal with the credit bureaus?

A: Ignore them. Your mother's credit report is no longer relevant.
 

candg918

Member
My siblings and I are listed as an authorized users on some of her accounts so these accounts appear on our credit reports. I discovered the extent of the problem when she received replacement cards for 5 people - including me - after her death on an account that I did not know I was on. I know she has accounts open for which I have no documentation.

Accounts appear on my credit report even if they are dormant. I cannot get them off of my report until her account is closed. Obviously, I can identify the accounts on my report and send the issuers copies of the death certificate but want to clean up the entire mess all at once. Thus I need the credit bureau info to locate all of the accounts.

From the representative at the credit bureau, it sounded like they might not even flag her report as deceased without the probate paperwork accompanying the death certificate.
 

Dandy Don

Senior Member
Let the trustee of the trust handle this, OR consult with a local probate attorney to find out whether the county probate judge would allow you to open up probate (shortly after filing you will receive a document called letters testamentary, which you would then present to the credit bureau a certified copy of), and then get probate cancelled since there are no assets to be probated. You need to find out from the attorney whether the cancellation of probate would be permitted without any serious consequences.
 

candg918

Member
I am the successor trustee which is why I got stuck with the mess.

Thank you for suggesting a solution. I will look into that approach. I was more than willing to open a probate under a small estate clause for an estate with no assets, but the county probate clerk's office said it was not possible.

I very much appreciate all the information I have received from this forum!

C
 

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