# How to find the bank accounts of a deceased relative



## ocean (23 May 2008)

qq


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## Brendan Burgess (23 May 2008)

*Re: missing cash anyone with info on finding it*

It will be difficult.

Did she operate a current account? 

I would start there and trace the sources of the lodgments and the destinations of the payments. 

Where was her pension paid? Was it into a bank account which you know about? 

There are some forensic accountants around who might know some other tricks. 

Brendan


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## Whiskey (23 May 2008)

Don't all bank accounts produce a statement annually by law ?

Some poster will contradict me if it's not true.
Recently, I asked my Bank of Ireland not to send me statements (because I didn't wan't my wife opening them !, and they said it's not possible. Either it's a legal requirement, or else their systems do not support it, I can't remember.

So wait for bank statements to arrive, there should be at least one annual statement from every bank account she had.

I am open to contradiction here.


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## sam h (23 May 2008)

> Recently, I asked my Bank of Ireland not to send me statements (because I didn't wan't my wife opening them



Charming!!

OP - I would do up a generic letter and post it to the head office of all the major banks.  Include all variations of her name (maiden, married, nick name, middle name etc) and all the addresses she may have used.  Say that you have reason to believe she had an account with them and they will search all their records.

Is there a possibility that she did the wisest thing & spent it all on having a good time??


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## Whiskey (23 May 2008)

sam h said:


> Charming!!
> 
> OP - I would do up a generic letter and post it to the head office of all the major banks. Include all variations of her name (maiden, married, nick name, middle name etc) and all the addresses she may have used. Say that you have reason to believe she had an account with them and they will search all their records.
> 
> Is there a possibility that she did the wisest thing & spent it all on having a good time??


 
And of course say her date of birth in the letter.


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## ocean (23 May 2008)

thanks guys lots of help there must did deeper


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## mercman (23 May 2008)

whiskey, I would say your wife really loves you !!! 

The Banks are meant to send a statement once a year -- you are correct, but do they actually heed the law. I have a loan account with a Bank for the past eight years and have never received the correct account number lest a statement. I stopped paying them as the Manager got transferred and nothing further has happened although I have sent countless letters to the Bank. However they refuse to release the charge on a Life Policy.

To the OP you will have to use the services of an expert - Private Detective or Forensic Accountant as already mentioned.


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## Ravima (23 May 2008)

how do you know she had €60K? If it was not in a local bank, oculd it have been invested in an insurance company? If there is a local broker, you could try him or else try writing to the ho of all the insurance companies?


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## eileen alana (23 May 2008)

its possible she gave all her money away to a charity before she died.  
Maybe you might find something uselful on this link:


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## ClubMan (23 May 2008)

Did you check under her mattress?


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## ClubMan (23 May 2008)

mercman said:


> whiskey, I would say your wife really loves you !!!


You don't know his motivation for doing this. Maybe he was saving towards a surprise for the wife and the statement would have spoiled it?


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## eileen alana (23 May 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Did you check under her mattress?


 

Excellent point


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## Slim (26 May 2008)

Ocean

If there is/are no documentary evidence in the hosue whatever as to her finacial deposits, statements, letters etc, then I would say she had none OR someone else beat you to it! Could she have used her Credit Union? If so, they would have paid out her balance to her nominee up to a max. of €23,000. Anything over that goes to her estate but you must notify them who the solicitor dealing with her estate is.

Slim


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## Mopsy (11 May 2011)

Just latched onto this thread as we are now in the same boat. My mother-in-law passed away recently and she had told me while in the nursing home that she had put away approx €30k for "down the road" when she would have to be in the nursing home for remainder of her life. However, she was only in the home for less than two months before passing away.

We know she has a will made and know that her pension (private) was being paid into her current account which has a healthy balance and the nursing home fees were being paid out of this. I suppose we should have asked her where this account was but it would have been insensitive of me, I guess! I know that it is not mentioned in the will as she made the will over 10 years ago and this alleged "new" account was only mentioned this year and from conversations with her was only an addition in the past year or two! I would hate to see it go dormant as this happened with my own late father's - well one of his accounts - then you are down the road of trying to get it back and he made no will!! Nightmare!!

From this post, I note someone mentioned Post Office and Credit Union. But this lady would never have used a Credit Union! I know she moved money from the building society last year because of all the hubbub regarding the economy! She was not a lady who believed in cash in the house, thank God, so I guess the search must start!


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