Need some help with bank account and Assurance Vie

[Biscuits]

Hello

I hope someone on here can help with this: we discovered my wife's French grandmother sadly passed away earlier this year. During the lady's life she had told my wife that she had opened a bank account in her name and deposited money in it. She also remembers her talking about an insurance policy, possibly 'Assurance Vie' (?), but she has no reference numbers, account details, or even company names. We now live in Central America and have changed address and contact details since this time, so anybody who is trying to contact us from France will probably have no luck, and we've had no luck contacting anyone there.

Is there anyway of searching for lost bank accounts, and possibly Assurance Vie accounts, similar to mylostaccount in the UK?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

[parsnips]

[quote user="Biscuits"]Hello

I hope someone on here can help with this: we discovered my wife's French grandmother sadly passed away earlier this year. During the lady's life she had told my wife that she had opened a bank account in her name and deposited money in it. She also remembers her talking about an insurance policy, possibly 'Assurance Vie' (?), but she has no reference numbers, account details, or even company names. We now live in Central America and have changed address and contact details since this time, so anybody who is trying to contact us from France will probably have no luck, and we've had no luck contacting anyone there.

Is there anyway of searching for lost bank accounts, and possibly Assurance Vie accounts, similar to mylostaccount in the UK?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.[/quote]

Hi,

    Here is the site for the assurance vie companies "search for contracts"  (if you can't read french , use the contact details to contact them in english ).  They will want a copy of the death certificate;

www.agira.asso.fr/content/recherche-des-contrats-dassurance-vie

For bank accounts (in both your name and your grandmother's) try the FICOBA , details here;

www.droitissimo.com/donation-succession/ouverture-succession/comment-heritiers-peuvent-connaitre-comptes-bancaires-defunt-ficoba

this site says you can't search directly on the FICOBA, but should write to

Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL)

8, rue Vivienne

CS 30223

75083 Paris cedex 02

Tél : 01 53 73 22 22  Fax : 01 53 73 22 00

To Prove your entitlement you will need the documents below;

Les modes de preuves les plus courants (mais pas les seuls) pour justifier de votre qualité d’héritier sont :

• L’acte de notoriété rédigé par un notaire ;
• Le certificat d’hérédité délivré en mairie.

For a model letter to the CNIL see here:

  Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés

                                                                              8, rue Vivienne

                                                                             CS 30223

                                                                             75083 Paris cedex 02

A (ville de domicile) le (date)

 

-Lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (  REGISTERED LETTER)

Madame, Monsieur

Je suis héritier de (préciser le nom, prénom, adresse, date et lieu de naissance du défunt), décédé(e) le (date du décès).

En application de l’article 39 de la loi n°78-17 du 6 janvier 1978,

je sollicite la communication des informations figurant au FICOBA et

concernant tous les comptes bancaires dont est titulaire la personne

désignée ci-dessus.

Conformément à la loi, je vous adresse ci-joint une copie de ma carte d’identité (ou de mon passeport) ainsi que l’acte de notoriété (ou le certificat d’hérédité) justifiant du décès de (nom et prénom du défunt) et de ma qualité d’héritier.

En vous remerciant par avance pour votre aimable diligence,

Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.

(Signature)

Hope this helps.   In case of problems contact an english speaking notaire in the area where the lady died. Find one here; 

www.notaires.fr/fr/annuaires-notaire

You will find a tab to switch to english in the top right of the page.

[CeeJay]

parsnips

I have no connection whatsoever with this request, however I have to say how astounded I am with the fullsome and detailed response to what is a difficult query. It is very heartening to know that I belong to a Forum that has a member with such depth of knowledge and capacity of enquiry.

[Judith]

[quote user="CeeJay"]parsnips

I have no connection whatsoever with this request, however I have to say how astounded I am with the fullsome and detailed response to what is a difficult query. It is very heartening to know that I belong to a Forum that has a member with such depth of knowledge and capacity of enquiry.

[/quote]

Indeed, and furthermore, we never know when this might also be of great use to any one of us, in a similar situation.  The letter alone is worth the keeping.

Muchas gracias.