[WSBAPT] Estate access to co-owned safe deposit box

[Megan S. Farr]

Eric,

We recently had a similar situation - financial institution required a court order to allow our PR to do something that didn't require a further court order.  We said that was fine, but that we would be asking for attorney fees in our order since what they were asking us to do would satisfy their own internal policy but was legally unnecessary.  They quickly changed their tune.

Megan S. Farr
Member | Farr Law Group, PLLC
1110 Stevenson Avenue, Ste. 100 | P.O. Box 890 | Enumclaw, WA 98022-0890
360.825.6581 (o) | 360.825.0780 (f)

This communication is intended only for the above-named recipient.  It might contain information that is subject to the attorney-client privilege and/or is otherwise confidential.  If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify the above-named sender.

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> On Behalf Of Eric Nelsen
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2022 3:19 PM
To: WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: [WSBAPT] Estate access to co-owned safe deposit box

Decedent and decedent's sister are both named on a safe deposit box in Seattle at Chase Bank. The living sister is 90+ years old, infirm, and lives in another state. The PR has the key, has Letters Testamentary, and wants access-and Chase is telling him he needs either a court order or written permission from the sister.

I have never encountered this problem. The decedent never needed permission to access their own sd box; why should the PR? Am I missing something? Am I blinded by my usual rage at the endless bank bureaucracy that never allows me to talk to the legal department but insists that their stupid position be transmitted to me via a hapless and innocent teller?

Sincerely,

Eric

Eric C. Nelsen
Sayre Law Offices, PLLC
1417 31st Ave South
Seattle WA 98144-3909
206-625-0092
eric at sayrelawoffices.com<mailto:eric at sayrelawoffices.com>

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