Joint accounts - funeral expenses

[HOPEFUL]

Hi - I have a joint account with a relative recently deceased. I tried to withdraw some money to pay for the funeral & they blocked the account. Is this usual practise with banks or is this just the Bank of Ireland? Sounds illegal to me?

[Mikeyorks]

With a joint account - on death - the surviving party owns all the funds. They don't even form part of the estate of the deceased.

Did you report the death to the Bank prior to attempting to remove money?

[HOPEFUL]

Hi - no, I went in after the funeral to withdraw the money to pay the undertaker...

[atush]

Contact the bank.

But if there are other monies in the estate, I would not pay for the funeral from your acct unless 100% of that money was the deceased and you don't mind paying the full cost instead of sharing with the other beneficiaries.

[sleepless saver]

Banks normally will release funds to pay for funeral expenses if they are asked to do so, and provided with death certificate. You could try that approach.

[xylophone]

Are you sure this is a normal joint account without special terms or restrictions? Joint accounts normally pass by survivorship which is one of the main reasons for opening one - e.g. to ease the path of a widow/widower. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governme...on/DG_10029468
"Money in joint accounts
The deceased person may have held money with another person in a joint bank or building society account. Normally this means that the surviving joint owner automatically owns the money. The money does not form part of the deceased person's estate for the purpose of administration and therefore does not need to be dealt with by the executor or administrator. However, a deceased's person's share in joint property is treated as part of their estate for inheritance tax purposes, both on death and on gifts made during their lifetime".

[HOPEFUL]

Hi - yes it is a survivorship account but I should have added the account is in Ireland so different rules...