To be recognized as the estate administrator, you must file the petition for grant of letters of administration with the Register of Wills. To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account.When a person dies and leaves a will with assets in their name only, the will must go through a probate process. This process proves that the will is valid. The bank will not allow you to close it unless you have a letter of authorization from the probate court. My Commission Expires: (Signature and Seal of Notary or other official qualified to administer oaths. Show date of expiration of Notary's Commission.). The first step is to probate the Will. The term refers to the distribution of the estate's final assets, which typically means that the Executor has run out of things to do. The landlord wants us to get a short certificate.