Of course. Arrangements should be made for any of the heirs to visit the property before it is sold.
If the person is not on the account they cannot access the account. All assets and property of deceased persons become a part of the estate as do all debts and are handled in accordance with state probate laws.
File for probate in the country where the bank account is held.
Unless the person is the executor of the deceased's estate or is a joint account holder then he or she cannot gain access without an order from the state probate court.
If the estate has been filed for probate you can go to the probate court and read the will. Once a will is filed for probate it becomes a public record. You can even get a copy to keep for your records.
They can file a petition in the probate court requesting a copy of the will.
No. Credit reporting bureaus will not allow access to the report without an order from the probate court. Such an order is usually only granted to the named or appointed executor or executrix of the deceased's estate.
Banks require a surviving family member or authorized party to present an order from the probate court before they will access to or the closing of accounts of a deceased person. Creditors can be informed of the death of the account holder, but they will generally take no action towards the account until they have been contacted by the deceased's legally appointed representative. The exception would be accounts that were jointly held.
If the will was "probated" it has become part of the public record and you can visit the court of jurisdiction and review the file. If the will was not probated then you do not have access to it.
Generally, in the US, the heir would need to be appointed the representative of the estate and issued letters of administration by a probate court. The letters would provide the authority to access the records of the decedent.
Yes, if the executor grants permission. They are going to have to gather the affects and inventory them for the estate valuation.
To pay bills for a deceased person, you should first notify the relevant financial institutions and service providers of the death, as they may require a death certificate. You can then use funds from the deceased's estate, if available, to settle outstanding bills. If the estate is in probate, the executor or personal representative is responsible for managing these payments. It's also important to check for any joint accounts or authorized users who may have access to funds for settling debts.