What should I do if someone dies and owes money (the same is true if the credit card is not returned):

If the borrower's relatives or other third parties sign a joint repayment responsibility contract with the lending institution when applying for a loan, the lending institution will require the guarantor to fulfill the guarantee obligation, assume joint repayment responsibility and repay the remaining debts in the case of long-term default by the borrower.

Without any third party guarantee:

(1) If the borrower chooses the mortgage loan method, then when the overdue time reaches about half a year, the lending institution will generally bring a house auction lawsuit to the court, and the proceeds from the auction will be used to pay off the debts first;

(2) If the family member of the deceased repays the loan on his behalf, then after all the loans are paid off, his family member can go through the mortgage cancellation procedures and then keep the house.

However, if the borrower originally chose unsecured loans, neither collateral nor third-party joint and several responsible persons were provided, it would be more difficult for the lending institution to recover the arrears, which would generally be treated as bad debts.