Baleña wants to know how long he should keep old payment receipts and billing statements from utilities like Manila Electric Company, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, Maynilad or Manila water companies (we can add mobile phone and cable television companies), credit card companies (including charge slips); cancelled passbooks and deposit slips; and cleared checks returned by drawee banks and payslips.
Baleña points out: “To retain these documents for a long period of time… requires space. They can also be fire hazards.”
Dead bank depositors
Evangelina Bernardo of Galas, Quezon City, wants to share with readers her family’s experience with banks—regarding a dead depositor’s account, so they will be prepared to deal with such a situation.
Bernardo says a bank asks for many documents before heirs of a dead depositor can have access to the deceased’s account, even if it is a joint account. She learned about the requirements only after trying to access her joint account with her mother after her parent’s death.
The bank manager told them the documents were required under banking rules.
Bernardo tried to reason with the manager, saying they were not informed of such rules when they opened the account, but they were overruled.
She and her siblings were asked to submit the following documents: her mother’s original death certificate, original birth certificates of heirs, deed of extrajudicial settlement, bank statement, special power of attorney, Certificate Authorizing Registration from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, heir’s bond, certificate of publication and certificate of registration from the Registry of Deeds.
“Accomplishing each task required time, effort and money,” Bernardo says, adding that they started the process on May 25 and will complete the collection of required documents on Sept. 26.
“We paid P2,000 for notary and documentation; P1,700 for the publication of the extra judicial settlement… for three consecutive weeks; P7,500 for the heir’s bond insurance (against) any future claim for two years; and P3,780 for the registration of the estate with the Quezon City Registry of Deeds.”
Hopefully, they will get the money from the bank after the release of the Registry of Deeds’ document on Sept. 26.
Bernardo says the experience has been a “nightmare,” and hopes that, by discussing it, she can help save other people from going through a similar ordeal.
Garden show
Plant lovers will have a chance to buy planting materials and garden supplies at the flower and garden show of the Los Baños Horticultural Society, Inc., held in conjunction with the founding anniversary of University of the Philippines Los Baños, Oct. 6-16, at the school’s Senior’s Social Garden.
Theme of the show is “Garden Weddings.” It will feature fragrant flowering plants as well as rare ornamentals in modern landscaping.
Guest of honor Ikebana professor Serapion S. Metilla will open the exhibit on Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. The exhibits will be open to the public starting Oct. 7.
Club president Marina Catipon and vice president Vic Chin say the Los Baños garden show is known for exhibits of rare and new hybrids of ornamental, fruit bearing trees and other garden accessories.
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