To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. (Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 14-3971)You would simply get the form and instructions from the court's website, fill out the form and have it notarized.A Payable on Death (POD) account is easy to set up at your bank. Online: Use our online form to notify us about a customer's death. You may wish to consult with an attorney or trusted advisor for assistance. • Joint deposit accounts may be retitled to remove the deceased customer. In this video, we discuss an important aspect of estate planning: how to prevent your bank accounts from being frozen at the time of your death. Call the Local Banks: You can call local banks to find out whether the deceased had any accounts. They went back and took the money out of our account after her death. You need to take your mother's death certificate to the bank.