Dormant Accounts problem

I have a joint bank account with very elderly relative who is deceased since 2013 . I am elderly myself and do not wish to waste my precious time on this any longer.
It contains the grand total of 80 euro.

I also have my own bank account at the same institution (EBS).

Despite regularly using my own account I have found it impossible to close the joint account and withdraw this small sum.

They have made it dormant or given it some sort of predormant status for as far back as I can remember.

In order to close the account and release the funds they are demanding a death certificate.

I used to have one of.tbose many years ago but cannot find it ..I seem to remember it costing me 20 euro at the time .

It seems unfair to want to charge me 20 euro to release an 80 euro sum.

I went to our GP and obtained a letter confirming this person's status as deceased since 2013 but the staff at the bank counter won't accept it.

Is there anything I can do to avoid this disproportionate fee ? Is this predormant/inactive status their own internal policy or is it defined by law ?

BoredCarrot said:

I am elderly myself and do not wish to waste my precious time on this any longer.

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I have a memory that if you are in receipt of SW, the fee for a death cert is waived? I could be wrong though.

More importantly, do you need the €80?

update: sorry I got my wires crossed, if cert is needed for SW the cost is reduced
"A certificate is issued for social welfare purposes at a reduced cost. Evidence it is for social welfare purposes is required, such as a note from the department."

DannyBoyD said:

I have a memory that if you are in receipt of SW, the fee for a death cert is waived? I could be wrong though.

More importantly, do you need the €80?

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I need the 80 more than the banks do ! In fact it was originally my money paying her bills. I actually lodged it. I was taking care of someone who took care of me.

so your options are:

1. find the death cert you were previously issued, enjoy a day out on the €80
2. get a copy cert & pay the €20, enjoy a day out on the €60
3. forget about it.

DannyBoyD said:

so your options are:

1. find the death cert you were previously issued, enjoy a day out on the €80
2. get a copy cert & pay the €20, enjoy a day out on the €60
3. forget about it.

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I accidentally found a way to dodge the fee but it's nothing suggested above.

BoredCarrot said:

I accidentally found a way to dodge the fee but it's nothing suggested above.

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Suggest you share it here as might help somebody else in your situation. It's a give and take kind of forum where people ask questions but also contribute if they can.

Flybytheseat said:

Suggest you share it here as might help somebody else in your situation. It's a give and take kind of forum where people ask questions but also contribute if they can.

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There's a good reason why I don't think I should because it was sort of a loophole.

My son recently got €25 from BoI for a mistake they made. It was paid into a BoI account he never used so it had gone dormant. To reactivate it, we had to do a withdrawal and lodgement of 1c, so it was easy enough.

In your case, we have to add in that the relative you have the account with is dead. How was authority set up regarding payments? Was one signature required?

Working in a regulated industry, when rules are sent down from compliance, it's hard to get around them. You need to know someone higher up the food chain who will do you a favour. The staff in the branch could never waive the requirements. Either find the death cert, buy a new one or forget the €80.

Do a search of your email. In 2013 it was quite likely that you had to attach the cert and email it to some department.