Administration is the process where the Surrogate's Court officially gives out Letters of Administration to a qualified distributee (heir) of the Decedent. In New York State, the Surrogate's Court decides what happens to a person's property when that person dies.Select your relationship to the owner in the dropdown and then select Next. To Open a Safe Deposit Box After Death in NYC, you must Petition the Surrogate's Court in the County where the Decedent died for permission. In order to gain access to a sealed residence or to obtain vouchered property, you must be named the representative of the decedent's estate. One thing for sure is that the bank will want to know the specific reasons for the removal request as the next-to-kin. One thing for sure is that the bank will want to know the specific reasons for the removal request as the next-to-kin. While the process for accessing a bank account after death usually isn't complicated, taking the time to understand bank account beneficiary rules can help. The police estimate that they reach kin 85 percent of the time. They struck out with George Bell.