An affidavit of collection of personal property – also known as a small estate affidavit – is a sworn statement that allows inheritors, next of kin, or a personal representative of a deceased estate to claim property without going to probate court.
Deceased Member Guidance
If you’re reading this page because you lost someone close to you, we are so very sorry.
This can be such a challenging time. To try to make it a little less overwhelming for you, here’s some guidance about how to handle their accounts, plus some definitions of terms that might come up.
where to start
Please note that situations can be very different, and this may not include everything that applies to you. But we hope that it can at least help you get started.
Please Reach Out to Us
To notify us about this person’s death, you can contact us by phone, chat, or video, or you can visit one of our branches. Once you get in touch, we can help you through the process of handling their accounts.
What Information We’ll Need
You can just contact us, and we’ll let you know what we need. But here’s some of the information that we’ll ask for, in case you’d like to know in advance.
Please know that we may ask for more information, depending on your situation.
- The deceased member’s name
- Your name and relationship to them
- Your phone number and email, and your preferred contact method
- A certified copy of the death certificate
How Long the Process Takes
When we talk, we’ll let you know about the timeline that you can expect, based on your situation.
If timing isn’t a concern for you, and you’d rather start the process by mail (which will indeed take longer), you do have the option of sending us the above-listed information to this address:
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
Attn: Deceased Member Care Team
175 West Lafayette Frontage Road
St. Paul, MN 55107
After we receive it, we’ll contact you regarding next steps.
We Want to Help
Please know that we’ll make this as easy as possible for you. Just contact us, and we’ll guide you through the process.
Relevant terms
This list may not include all the terms that come up when someone dies, but it includes some of the most common ones.
A copy of the death certificate that has been certified; typically, this document has a seal/statement that says “This is a true and certified copy” or a watermark.
Court authorization to act as the personal representative of the Estate when there is no Will.
Court authorization documentation to act as the personal representative of the Estate when there is a Will.
Formerly known as the “executor,” this is the person appointed by the court to be responsible for administrating the estate of the person who has died. A court must authorize an individual to act as a personal representative.
A legal document (Power of Attorney Form) giving a person (known as the Attorney in Fact) the power to act for another person (known as the Principal). Power of Attorney ceases upon the death of the Principal.
Probate is the legal process of getting court authority to transfer property of a person after death. In the State of MN, the typical threshold for assets of the estate of the deceased is $75,000.00. If the estate is greater than $75,000.00, consult with the courts or an attorney for next steps which may include probate.