Consumer complaint received 2022-02-10
Company: BMO HARRIS BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: MO
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Opening an account
Sub-issue: Unable to open an account

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I requested to open a Trust Account with BMO Harris Bank. BMO Harris Bank manager/vice president XXXX XXXX XXXX certain information in regards to opening up a Trust Account. The following information was : 1. Two Form of ID : which was my Issued Passport and a Bank Credit Card.

2. My social security card.

3. My Certificate of Trust and my IRS EIN number. 
After I gave BMO Harris Bank the documents she requested. XXXX XXXX told me " that in order to open up a Trust Account, she would have to send confidential details of my Trust to BMO Harris Bank Legal team in that it would take the legal team 8 hours to let me know if i could open the Trust Account. 
On XX/XX/XXXX after 8 hours have passed I contacted BMO Bank and asked why was it taking so long to open the said account. Later in the even XXXX XXXX contacted me by phone and she told me they the " Legal Team '' said they could not open my account unless I showed them my Full Confidential Private Living Trust documents ''. Later after that I went into the XXXX Branch : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, MO XXXX and voice my " privacy rights '' that BMO Harris Bank was violating. XXXX XXXX ; Bank Manger / Vice President said " Its BMO policy and it do not matter what my rights are as a consumer and I needed to gave them additional information outside of the recent information they already had ''. I told XXXX XXXX that outside of my Certification of Trust, EIN, SSN which is also a violation of my rights to ask for, and my ID I was not providing any more of my private information to BMO Legal Team. 
BMO Harris Bank is in violation of my consumer rights pursuant to XXXX Law XXXX  XXXX. XXXX. Certification of Trust. ( 8. ) A person making a demand for the trust instrument in addition to a certification of trust or excerpts is liable for damages if the court determines that the person did not act in good faith in demanding the trust instrument.

BMO Harris Bank is in violation of The privacy Act of 1974 for denying me my right to open a Trust Account without providing my private information such as my Social Security Card without proper material disclosure by law what on it was being used for pursuant to " The Privacy Act of 1974 ( a ) ( 1 ) It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency to deny to any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individuals refusal to disclose his social security account number. 

( 2 ) the provisions of paragraph ( 1 ) of this subsection shall not apply with respect to ( A ) any disclosure which is required by Federal statute, or ( B ) the disclosure of a social security number to any Federal, State, or local agency maintaining a system of records in existence and operating before XX/XX/XXXX, if such disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date to verify the identity of an individual. 

( b ) Any Federal, State, or local government agency which requests an individual to disclose his social security account number shall inform that individual whether that disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority such number is solicited, and what uses will be made of it. Section 7 of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a note ( Disclosure of Social Security Number ) ). 

I have attached the said documents that I have gave BMO Harris Bank to open my account.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation