Happens all the time.
My wife brought her aunt into our home to die.
After the aunt died in October, companies began calling the house trying to collect on outstanding debts. The estate left nothing for this, and my wife informed them of that.
“Well, usually the family will take care of these bills.”
“Not this family.” Click.
My chuckle for the day at least so far today-”they” whoever they happens to be will bully if they can.
There is a difference between charging a dead person for an ongoing cellular phone contract (which is ridiculous), and trying to collect from a dead person on a legitimate debt.
Typically, debts must be paid with the assets of the estate (whn you die, what you own goes toward what you owe). If the estate is broke, a letter stating that the estate is closed, broke and that the creditor will not be getting paid is likely necessary. The executor of the estate should handle creditors.
SnakeDoc
“Well, usually the family will take care of these bills.”
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Same line handed to me by Dell after my dad passed with no estate.
The estate is liable for bills, but the family is not.
A dead person can be sued for money owed. If you win, the judgment is against the estate. If the estate is already distributed, there is nothing to collect against.
In other words, there is no point to pursuing debts of dead people, unless it is a large debt, and then you better get in there and make a claim against the estate before it is distributed.
Of course, if the debt is secured, the creditor will collect.