Cancel unnecessary home-related services

As soon as possible after the death, the executor needs to cancel unnecessary home-related services so the maximum amount of assets stay in the estate. Keep in mind that for some services like television and internet you might need to be physically present to return rented equipment such as DVR boxes or modems.

Some of the most obvious items to cancel immediately are cable or satellite television, land line telephone, cell phone, and internet services. Be careful, though, when you cancel internet services. If the decedent had an email account linked to the internet service, it will likely be cancelled when the account is closed. Be sure to contact the internet service provider to determine their policy. If closing the account also restricts access to email, you should still consider taking the service down to the lowest possible level (instead of closing it) to save money for the estate.

Finally, if no one is living in the home, services such as trash pickup and recycling can be cancelled. If you cancel these services, be sure you leave the bins out for the city or company to pick up, if required. Many cities and companies own the bins that are used by customers, so you don’t want to incur a fine for inadvertently keeping them.