To be recognized as the estate administrator, you must file the petition for grant of letters of administration with the Register of Wills. Next of Kin Letter is a document used to confirm who is the closes relative of the deceased that are still living.To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. In most cases, only the personal representative of a deceased person's estate can access the deceased accounts at a financial institution. One thing for sure is that the bank will want to know the specific reasons for the removal request as the next-to-kin. If you are not the sole next of kin, you must also provide notarized renunciations from other relatives who qualify to administer the estate. Learn how property is distributed without a Last Will and Testament from the experienced PA estate planning attorneys at the Martin Law Firm. Small Estate Affidavit form to hand to bank would be worth my time since mom had little or nothing in her account? If you die without a will in Pennsylvania, your assets will pass to your closet living next of kin pursuant to state "intestate succession" laws. The answer depends on which relatives of the deceased person survived the decedent.