Deborah McSmith-Merrill Lynch-1727469101

My son Brendon Sarr McSmith died on July 8th of this year. He was a Navy Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman assigned to a team of Marine Raiders, with whom he served in Iraq. Brendon had a small IRA balance with Merrill Lynch. Since July I have attempted to work with ML's Life Services Department to have this balance transferred to my Navy Federal Credit Union account. During this time I have successfully resolved financial transactions with the credit union, his bank, his mortgage company, the IRS, and the Virginia DMV using the only personal property probate form the State of Virginia provides when someone dies without a legal will in place. Whatever legal team advises Merrill's Life Services Department, however, has repeatedly refused the form and each time has given entirely different and conflicting reasons and instructions. I have been told the date on the form is wrong, to wait 60 days, to send in a new form immediately, to write and then that and then another thing on the form. I have followed every instruction, and sent in new versions of the form, yet it continues to be rejected and each time the reasons are different. The New Kent County probate form proves that I am the sole legal heir. I am told that if someone dies without a regular will, the funds go to the next of kin. I AM the next of kin, nonetheless I continue to get the run around from this department whose purpose is supposed to be to assist bereaved families. I offered to provide the name and phone number of the country court probate department, so that they could confirm the state probate protocols, but this information was refused. I need help to release these funds. The amount is very modest and to have to make this much effort has created undue stress for a grieving mother and dishonors my son's service to his country.