Consumer complaint received 2023-11-12
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Cashing a check

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2019, I deposited a check { {$37000.00} } to my account XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX with JP Morgan Chase Bank. They placed a hold on my check and closed my account. Chase representative informed me that they need to verify the check with the issuer before the fund can be made available. 

Actions taken to support the verification process through the years : Contact information of issuer is provided but not accepted by Chase as they were unable to verify it. Efforts to authenticate the contact information with XXXX XXXX XXXX billing, social media information, and power of attorney with contact details were also rejected. 
The presence of an attorney acting on behalf of the issuer is not accepted. As advised by the banker in branch, issuer has sent an attorney with Notarized Power of Attorney to present original ID to branch for verification purpose. Legal department of Chase has acknowledged the legitimacy of the POA yet commented POA should be in place before the check issue date, which is mission impossible. How come the issuer knows that an attorney is even needed at first place. And the request is confusing as the attorney is assigned to make presence on issuers behalf to verify information, not signing the check to make the check valid. 
Chase has called issuers bank ( XXXX XXXX ) and confirmed the validity and legitimacy of the check. After all, Chase refuse to release the check. 

Request to Chase : ( 1 ) Make the verification process work. With all my hard work through the years to make issuer support on the process, it seems only a contact information in bank 's verification system or personal presence in branch could work. How comprehensive is the verification system that Chase should ignore all other information not in its system? If that is the case, I think I need to be informed at first place that DO NOT DEPOSIT A CHECK if issuer is not in Chases verification system or able to present in the branch. ( The issuer is currently XXXX XXXX and has XXXX XXXX to XXXX babies in recent years. Considering her current circumstances, requiring her to leave her kids and travel to the United States is not reasonable. And I do see the process reflect a poor service level to clients. ) ( 2 ) If Chase can not cash the check, refund the check to the issuer. With all the intention from both me and issuer to cooperate the verification, if Chase can still not release the check, at least refund the check to the issuer. The fund should not be stuck in the middle forever. Chase mentioned they can return the check if XXXX XXXX ( issuers bank ) initiate the process. But XXXX XXXX has no ground to call back the check as issuer talked to XXXX XXXX, the check is correctly debited from issuers account and now holding in my account. If this is the direction to go, Chase should initiate the process of returning the check to the issuer. 

I have gone through a lot of back and forth communication with the bank, where a solution initially advised by banker end up not working at a later stage. Truly hope Chase can make efforts to resolve the long-standing issue

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief