Advanta C.C.Advanta Bank Corp. increased finance % to an account in good standing from16 to 38% in 3 months.... Salt Lake City Utah

My mother passed away 12-12-08..... As executrix of her estate, one of my jobs was to get all the accounts settled in order to maintain a good standing with my companies' creditors. I started searching through piles of bills to locate all the various credit card statements. I was agast when I came to the Advanta account statements. The finance % steadily increased throughout the last 3 months of 2008. I called their company to inquire as to the balance due at the date of her death, but they would not disclose that information to me because my mom was the sole card holder. I had to wait until papers came through the probate court with the legal title needed for them to speak to me. Ok, I understand that, no problem. What I don't understand is when I did fax them the legal papers, another billing cycle passed by and the company attached finance charges from Dec. 15th to January 15th, 2009. 48 days after my mom passed away.
Can they do that legally?

The other 7 credit card companies not only gave me the balances owed as of Dec. 12th, they closed the account as well because there was no other card holder. The same amount of time had passed as with the Advanta account, yet they evidenced not an ounce of compassion in their willingness to discuss the issue even after $12,000 had been paid to them. With a balance of just $700, they sent the account to a collection agency.......Again, How could they do such a thing?

Rehcaet
Brooklyn, Connecticut
U.S.A.