One contributing factor is whether the married couple resided in a community property state. If that is the case, the surviving spouse is usually responsible for all spousal debts regardless of how the account was held. If not a community property state, the debts belong to the deceased only, and should be handled according to state probate laws.
Your estate is responsible for your debts. If the business is owned by the deceased, the business is responsible. A spouse is not responsible, but the amount they inherit will be affected by the debts.
Stepparents are not responsible for their stepchildren. Spouses are not responsible for their spouse's child(ren). However, to collect unpaid support, the State may place liens on real and personal property, including bank accounts, owned by the obligor, even though the spouse is a joint owner.
The estate is responsible for any bills. But the assumption is that the wife inherits the husband's assets. One way or another, the spouse ends up paying the debt. The spouse has some right in all real property owned by the husband. If the assets are not enough to cover the debt, the real property may have a lien placed against it to cover those debts.
Spouses are not responsible for their spouse's child(ren). However, to collect unpaid support, the State may place liens on real and personal property, including bank accounts, owned by the obligor, even though the spouse is a joint owner.
Whilst no PR company has yet owned up to the hoax, it is believed that it was a publicity stunt.
The banks would like you to think that the person's family is responsible, but this is not true. The person who made the debt and who has no other person on the account is responsible. This means that a husband or children of the person who died does NOT inherit the debt unless it is a joint account. Your name has to be on the account to have them collect the debt. Otherwise you don't owe what the person left. However, the decedent's estate is responsible for paying their debts. If the decedent owned any assets at the time of death, their debts must be paid before any property can be distributed to the heirs.
In general, spouses are not responsible for their spouse's child(ren). However, to collect unpaid support, the State may place liens on real and personal property, including bank accounts, owned by the obligor, even though the spouse is a joint owner.
A credit union is owned by all the people who have money deposited at the credit union, as opposed to a bank, which is owned by its shareholders.
Stepparents are not responsible for their stepchildren. Spouses are not responsible for their spouse's child(ren). However, to collect unpaid support, the State may place liens on real and personal property, including bank accounts, owned by the obligor, even though the spouse is a joint owner.
If your parents are deceased the Power of Attorney expired when they died. It is no longer in effect. If your sister used their credit card after their death then she committed a criminal act and could be prosecuted. Her use of the crdit card has nothing to do with their estate. She is responsible for her actions. If she charged on the account after your parents death, the credit card company can't attach the real estate you inherited. They would need to bring charges against your sister. You should cooperate by providing them with any information you have that would help in their investigation, where they can find your sister and the circumstances that enabled her to use your parents credit card (her being the executor of their estates).
The surviving spouse is only responsible for credit card debt if the account were joint or the married couple lived in a community property state; (Texas and Wisconsin treat marital debt differently than other CP states). Death benefits from life insurance with a named beneficiary or SS death benefit are not subject to creditor action for repayment of the deceased debts.
Your father's estate is responsible for his debts. If he owned any property at the time of his death (including real estate, personal property, bank accounts, etc.) his estate must be probated and that property must be used to pay his creditors. If he owned no assets then his ceditors are out of luck and you should send the bills back with a copy of his death certificate.