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julieco Asked December 2015

How do we unfreeze a bank account?

My bf aunt had a spell and ended up in the hospital who then transferred her to the nursing home for short term rehab. She has many bills that need to be paid she does not have a POA but my bf is the executor of her will and Health care proxy. The bank will not speak to him and she is a bit confused now. This took place about 8 weeks ago and he is really stressed out with this. The bank refuses to pay any of her bills and just froze the account. We have contacted the office of the aging but they do not seem overly eager to get involved because they said trustco bank is the worst to deal with. We are in NY state what can we do to help her? Any advice would be greatly appreciated he is paying her bills out of his own pocket but does not make alot of money we are completely stressed and stuck. 

JessieBelle Dec 2015
BTW, if the account is unfrozen, it is a good thing to set up automatic payment of the bills. The phone and cable companies will generally accept either automatic credit card or echeck payment. Gas, water, and electric companies accept one or the other, sometimes both. It makes bill management so much simpler. Many times you can also handle medical expenses online. All these things are so nice for caregivers.

JessieBelle Dec 2015
If your bf's aunt is not competent any longer, then it is too late to assign a POA. Someone may have to file to get guardianship or a conservatorship in order to access her resources so she can live. If no one in the family wants to become guardian, the court can appoint a guardian. This is handled through the probate court.

If the aunt is still competent and only a little confused, she can assign POAs for finances and healthcare. Many banks, though, will not deal with a POA. This may be particularly true if the account is frozen. You may have to pick a good day and go to the bank with her. If she is competent she can add your bf or other family member on as a signer on her account so that bills can be paid. That would be the easiest thing to do when it comes to banks.

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