Advice for Grandmother

[Anonymous]

Hello!
I am seeking advise for my grandmother in regards to two credit cards she is an authorized user and has been using and paying for years now. The isssue is that the card holder, her husband, passed away, I believe, about 8-9 years ago. She is only on ssi and is having a really hard time paying the $300 combined minimum payment. Does she have any options at this point?

[medicgrrl]

I would seek the advice of an attorney on this question.  The fact that she has been using the cards after his passing could make for a sticky situation if she defaults and they find out she has been using the cards.  

What are the balances?  Any possibility of her taking out an installment loan with a lower payment and closing the cc's?

[Anonymous]

The problem is that she just defaulted on two other cards so her score just plummeted below 600 so now chance of a consolidation loan with her income credit scores in the toilet. The balances are a total of around $7k.

[Anonymous]

Yes, she's definitely going to need to see an attorney about this, if she's already defaulted on two of those cards.

[DollyLama]

Is Grandmother age 60 or older? Are you sure she is drawing supplemental SS, or did she ever apply for deceased husbands SS benefits?  

[Anonymous]

Just to note, she hasn't defaulted on any cards that she is not the primary cardholder.

Dollylama, yes she is 70 and she is drawing benefits for herself, not because her husband is deceased.

[Anonymous]

I stand corrected, she collects it because of him. She has deceased benefits.

[medicgrrl]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I stand corrected, she collects it because of him. She has deceased benefits.

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I don't think any of that matters.  The problem is with the fact that they were his cards and were not closed after his death and she continued to use them.  I would really consult an attorney to determine what legal actions the credit card company can take.

[Anonymous]

Got it. Thanks!

[RobertEG]

I agree with medicgrrl.

Upon death of the cardholder, the account should have been closed to any further use, which would clearly include any authorized user.

She is not legally responsible for the debt, and the administrator of his estate should have included that account notification under their duties.

The debt on the account should have been handled in the administration of his decedent estate.....