How to Cancel a Deceased Person's Phone, Utilities and Subscriptions in BC

Weeks after a death, recurring charges often turn up: phone plans, streaming services, memberships and utilities. As executor you may be the one who has to find them and shut them down.

This article explains your general authority, the notices the government expects, how providers tend to approach closures, and where personal liability can arise.

This article covers the law of British Columbia.

Your authority as personal representative

A personal representative has the same authority over the estate as the deceased would have if living, subject to a contrary intention in the will and to any enactment. The representative must administer and distribute the estate and account to beneficiaries and creditors. Accounts held by third parties may still be subject to their own terms of service.

The Province lists cancelling subscriptions and charge cards and redirecting mail among executor duties, alongside inventorying assets, paying valid debts and filing tax returns.

What providers may ask for

Institutions set their own rules on whether probate is required before releasing assets or closing accounts; some require a grant of probate and others do not. What a particular phone, utility or subscription provider needs is not set out in a single rule, so confirm with each provider.

Digital accounts such as email, social media, cloud storage and crypto are not governed by a specific British Columbia statute that we can point to. Access depends on the executor's general authority and each platform's terms of service.

Government and other notices to deal with first

Service Canada should be told of a death as soon as possible to cancel CPP and OAS. Benefits are payable for the month of death, and all payments issued after that month must be returned. For direct deposit, ask the bank to return them to the originator, or send a Canadian-funds cheque payable to the Receiver General for Canada; cashed cheques must be repaid.

• Federal notices include Service Canada, the CRA, cancelling a valid passport, and IRCC if the person held citizenship or PR documents
• BC items in the months following include the ICBC driver's licence, the vehicle and policy through an Autoplan broker, and MSP
• Contact both Equifax and TransUnion to report the death and reduce fraud risk
• Post office boxes and mail forwarding may need to be updated or cancelled, and prescriptions with pharmacies cancelled

For MSP, Vital Statistics notifies Health Insurance BC of deaths in BC, but you should confirm cancellation if the person died outside B.C. or if more than 60 days have passed and MSP records have not been updated.

Who stays liable

Cancelling an account does not erase what is owed on it. Executors and administrators may be held personally liable for valid debts of the estate if they remain unpaid after the estate is distributed.

Distribution within 210 days after the representation grant is issued is not allowed except by court order, though it is allowed with the consent of beneficiaries or intestate successors. Waiting, and settling valid final bills first, helps protect you. Whether someone else, such as a joint account holder, is liable on a given contract depends on its terms, so confirm with the provider or a lawyer.

What to do next

• Gather recent bank and card statements to spot recurring charges
• Go through mail and email for bills and subscription notices
• Ask each provider in writing what documents it needs
• Keep copies of every cancellation and final bill
• Notify Service Canada and the credit bureaus promptly
• Pay valid final bills before distributing anything
• See a lawyer if the estate may not cover its debts

Frequently asked questions