Banks.......sheeesh!

[Grandpa Shooter]

We are selling off our camping related vehicles since my wife is so temp sensitive she basically can't be outside a controlled environment for more than two hours due to the after effects of chemo and radiation.  I deposited checks and cash to our checking account and the deposit was marked "Pending" when I went online to look at our account. I transferred a large sum from our checking to the home equity line of credit and was notified that the amount was higher than the .gov acceptable amount of $2500.00 so it was marked as pending.  Oh great.  Today I went and deposited a considerable amount of cash to our checking account and it is marked "Pending" again.  What about cash is questionable other than the .gov thinking I am a terrorist or laundering money?  I went online today to transfer money between banks to pay off and close one secured loan and get a lien release.  By the time I was done I had 5 different pay off amounts given to me, and told that they would send me an Indiana title, when I hold a Kentucky title on the vehicle.  Again, HUH?  The guy couldn't explain it so I quit.  Then they told me there would be a 7 day hold on the payoff while they verified the funds.  What?  Are they thinking my bank is going to go out of business today?  To say the process of dealing with banks and other financial institutions drives me nuts would be quite an understatement.  What is the point of having electronic anything if no one trusts it, and half the time doesn't even give accurate information.  Sheeeesh!

[MechAg94]

Never had them put a cash deposit on hold, but I don't think I ever deposited a great amount.  I have had check deposits go on a 10 day hold with only a portion of the funds available until then.

[Jim147]

Small town backs have some perks. As long as I keep things under $10,000 I have no problems. Deposited checks are available immediately.

Take this one. I ran into a customer today I did a small job for when he wasn't home. He came up to me today as I was going into the hardware store. He asked the amount and said he was going to the bank and would just have them transfer from his account to mine.

[Grandpa Shooter]

When I was in business doing home repair maintenance and remodeling I worked for people I never met who would leave me a signed check on the dining room table with a note saying to fill it in and let them know how much it was.  Those were the good years between 2002 and 2009.  I miss those days.

[grampster]

My bank has a bill paying free service I can use on line.  They do electronic transfer and paper checks if the recipient doesn't do electronic.  A couple months ago I got a memo about how they were going to "enhance" the service.  When I was working, our company would "enhance" services.  The "enchancement" turned into a fluster *let's not go there* and wound up being worse than prior to the "enhancement".  Whenever I see that "enhance or enhancement" word I expect a fluster cluck.  My bank has not disappointed me.  It's now a mess and what used to take overnight for electronic or 2 or 3 days for paper, now is 3 or 4 days for the former overnight and up to 2-3 weeks for the paper ones.  Sigh........

[Ben]

I don't mean to steal the thread, but I am mad at my small local bank today as well.

They have always been great, and they also have a free notary service for clients which I have used before. Today I was using it for one of the last documents relating to my dad's death and transfers of property. The notary was some guy I'd never seen before, and he looked at me like I was some kind of sovereign citizen stealing someone's house, and stated he wasn't sure I had the right documentation. I did of course, as it was sent by my attorney, and I explained that to him. He ended up notarizing it.

Then when I got home (I should have checked right at the bank) I saw he had dated his portion as merely "August". Further, and again my fault, my only excuse being that I get discombobulated with this death paperwork and thinking about my dad being gone, I realized he also never had me sign his book nor did he take my thumbprint. His notary seal is on the document though. I can't imagine what he was trying to do or what he thought I was trying to do.

Anyway, I'm a little furious, and luckily caught my attorney before California quitting time and had her email me fresh documents. I'm going back to the bank tomorrow and straight to the manager. I almost never complain about stuff like this, chalking it up to mistakes and giving benefit of doubt, but I'm not doing so this time. I might be letting emotion cause me to overreact, but I'm furious thinking what a "fake" notarized document could cause here for me legally, and there is a lot of money involved.

[JonnyB]

Ben:
Isn’t a notary’s function to simply verify that it was the correct person who signed a document? As best I know, it’s nunna their bidness what’s being signed, only that it’s definitely signed by the person who is the intended signer.

Of course, I could be off base. (Often mistaken but never in doubt!)

JB

[Hawkmoon]

Ben:
Isn’t a notary’s function to simply verify that it was the correct person who signed a document? As best I know, it’s nunna their bidness what’s being signed, only that it’s definitely signed by the person who is the intended signer.

Of course, I could be off base. (Often mistaken but never in doubt!)

JB

That's correct. I am a notary (in my state -- state laws undoubtedly have minor differences but, essentially, notaries are absolutely not allowed to give legal advice). Unless it's a document requiring the notary to administer an oath (such as an affidavit) the notary's sole function is to verify that the person signing the document is who he/she says he/she is, and to witness the signature being applied.

[K Frame]

I had to have a BUNCH of stuff notarized when I was closing out my Mom's estate.

I didn't have to sign the notary's book, and I didn't have to give a thumb print...

[Ben]

Thanks for that info guys. I've never had a notary question documents other than verifying which of my signatures required their notarization in larger docs that required both notarized and non-notarized signatures.

Also thanks KF regarding the "non-thumb print" notarization. I have never had anything notarized where they didn't take my print, and I didn't know that was even allowed. I might have been going back into the bank a bit angrier this morning if I didn't see that.

[MillCreek]

We do a lot of notary services for patients.  I have never seen one of our notaries take a thumb print or have the patient sign a book.  They do require proof of identification of the person signing.  But otherwise, they fill out the notary affirmation, apply the seal and away we go.

[K Frame]

It looks like some states require a thumbprint, in some states it's only for certain transactions, and in some states it's not required at all. Apparently Virginia is a no thumbprint state according to the notaries handbook I found online...

https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/secretary-of-the-commonwealth/pdf/2017-December-15-revised-Handbook-.pdf


I had the one woman at my office notarize the stuff for my Mom's estate. She wouldn't charge me, so I bought her lunch.

[ConstitutionCowboy]

I don't mean to steal the thread, but I am mad at my small local bank today as well.

They have always been great, and they also have a free notary service for clients which I have used before. Today I was using it for one of the last documents relating to my dad's death and transfers of property. The notary was some guy I'd never seen before, and he looked at me like I was some kind of sovereign citizen stealing someone's house, and stated he wasn't sure I had the right documentation. I did of course, as it was sent by my attorney, and I explained that to him. He ended up notarizing it.

Then when I got home (I should have checked right at the bank) I saw he had dated his portion as merely "August". Further, and again my fault, my only excuse being that I get discombobulated with this death paperwork and thinking about my dad being gone, I realized he also never had me sign his book nor did he take my thumbprint. His notary seal is on the document though. I can't imagine what he was trying to do or what he thought I was trying to do.

Anyway, I'm a little furious, and luckily caught my attorney before California quitting time and had her email me fresh documents. I'm going back to the bank tomorrow and straight to the manager. I almost never complain about stuff like this, chalking it up to mistakes and giving benefit of doubt, but I'm not doing so this time. I might be letting emotion cause me to overreact, but I'm furious thinking what a "fake" notarized document could cause here for me legally, and there is a lot of money involved.

All a notary is supposed to do is make sure it is you and then witness your signature. It doesn't matter if you are signing a deed, death certificate, or a diddly-squat declaration. Whether it is legal or not doesn't matter as long as he has proof it is you signing.

Woody

[Ben]

Well, I'm glad I posted yesterday and was able to read the replies. I went into the bank calmly instead of mad this morning. He ended up just adding yesterday's date and apologizing. Turns out he's the Vice President of the bank (or one of them - banks always seem to have a half dozen per branch) and rarely does notary stuff. He only did it yesterday because the regular notaries were out.

Anyway, happy with my local bank again. :)

[K Frame]

"I went into the bank calmly instead of mad this morning."

Damn it, guys, we screwed up. I was counting on some great Utoob vids...

[Ben]

"I went into the bank calmly instead of mad this morning."

Damn it, guys, we screwed up. I was counting on some great Utoob vids...

Better luck next time.

 

[Grandpa Shooter]

After this latest fiasco, my wife and I went to the local bank with many area branches to open accounts.  It is the one we go to when we need cash since the bank we have been at only has one branch 15 miles away.  The local bank charges us $4.00 to use their ATM since we are non customers, and our bank charges us $2.50 because we used another bank's ATM.  Screwed both ways.  We ended that surcharge today by opening an account at the local bank.  We will start moving funds and bills to be paid once this bank proves itself to me.  Hopefully within 6 months I won't be dealing with surcharges to get my own money, or charged $2.50 to see if the bank does it's math the same way I do.  The bank officer was jovial enough, and had the courtesy to lower her mask so that I could read her lips and have a chance of understanding her.  Guys I usually don't have trouble with, but most female voices are out of my range.

[MechAg94]

I haven't used an ATM that wasn't my bank in quite some time.  I imagine the ATM fees are considerable these days. 

[Grandpa Shooter]

I haven't used an ATM that wasn't my bank in quite some time.  I imagine the ATM fees are considerable these days.

If you do the math, it means if I take out $100, I am paying $6.50 to the banks.  That's a 6 1/2 % surcharge to get my own money.  If I use one of the ATM's independently owned, they charge $3.00 and my bank charges $2.50 so that is still 5 1/2%.  Nice money in their pocket.  The way to get your own money without using an ATM is to get cash back after a purchase at a large store.  They don't charge me anything, although I imagine they get charged by my bank.

[Ben]

This ATM talk got me to thinking and I realized that I rarely use ATMs anymore. Maybe a half dozen times a year at my bank's ATM, I'll take out $500 or so to have wallet cash. I can't even recall the last time I used an ATM that wasn't at the bank.

[JTHunter]

Have any of you ever had somebody at your banks threaten to report you to the IRS for withdrawing a large sum of cash?  By "large", I'm talking about $5 - $10 K.  This one bank where my parent has a sizeable checking account has done this to the point where we got into an argument with this young man.  We complained to the GM at the main branch in St. Louis but I don't know if it did any good.
It seems this young man is far left and he overheard me commenting to the teller helping us about some of Biden's problems. 

[Bogie]

I don't know what the number is now, but it used to be that cash transactions over $10k have to be reported to the feds.
 
You see a lot of youts in the city buying cars with cash.

[K Frame]

Better luck next time.

 

I was really hoping for you running back and forth between teller stations throwing papers and pens in the air and Steve standing on a counter barking at the excitement.

[K Frame]

I haven't used an ATM that wasn't my bank in quite some time.  I imagine the ATM fees are considerable these days. 

That's the great thing about belonging to a military credit union -- the no surcharge ATM networks mean that you can normally find an ATM anywhere in the country.

The excessive fees that banks charge are the primary reason why I won't deal with banks for most things.

HI, this is Big Bank. We came across your name in one of our reports today, so we're going to charge your account $9 for us thinking about you. And that's going to overdraw your account, which is another $25 fee. And, then there's the $5 multiple fee fee. Have a nice day.

[K Frame]

I don't know what the number is now, but it used to be that cash transactions over $10k have to be reported to the feds.
 
You see a lot of youts in the city buying cars with cash.

Still the case. Back in the 1990s one of the big car dealerships in this area (had a terrible reputation) got raided and a number of their employees were arrested for helping local crime elements launder cash through cash purchases at the dealership...

Multiple sketchy customers coming in with $9,999, putting money down on a car, then coming back over several days with more wads of $9,999 to pay off the car.

All very conveniently under the limit, until, IIRC, someone got nervous and tipped the FBI.