To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. To close a bank account after death, you must completely liquidate its funds.A bank closure letter may be needed if you want to close a bank account without having to go to your bank's physical location. It is standard practice to freeze a sole owned account once the bank is presented with a death certificate for the owner. Banks generally cannot close a deceased account until after the person's estate has gone through probate or has otherwise settled. Sample letter to close bank account of deceased. The letter shall start with the sender's address, date, bank's address, and with a salutation. You would need an official letter from the agency saying you need the death record to process the claim. The only option going forward will be to close the account and pay the funds to the estate. Access to bank accounts: If you are a co-signer or have a joint account with the deceased, you should be able to use some of the money in the account to pay the.