Consumer complaint received 2020-05-09
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Attached is the original check and proof that the check belongs to me XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o After 6+ months of trying to get this resolved XXXX finally paid me what I was owed during my medical leave of absence pay which was a total of {$4400.00}. I had received an email from XXXX XXXX from XXXX Payroll department stating : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX  to me XXXX Customer Communication - Confidential Good afternoon Mr. XXXX, It was brought to our attention that you are owed additional Leave of Absence pay. According to our records, you should have received payments totaling {$16000.00} from the start of your LOA beginning XX/XX/XXXX through the end of his leave on XX/XX/XXXX and we are showing payments covering this same period of totaling {$12000.00}. 

XXXX is showing LOA began on XX/XX/XXXX. PBA / VAC was used for XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX which means XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX would be reclassified and it was not. This means you should have received XXXX XXXX totaling {$15000.00}. 

Of this, you received payment for Full STD in the amount of {$8100.00} and payment for Partial STD of {$1000.00}. Therefore, you received {$9100.00} and you are owed {$6100.00} ( {$15000.00} XXXX XXXX = XXXX ). 

Please note a payment was processed and is being mailed to your home address on file. You should received a check for the gross payment of {$6100.00}. Please feel free to contact me directly if you do not receive this payment by Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX. 

Thank you Mr. XXXX, we sincerely appreciate your patience while this was worked out. 

XXXX XXXX Payroll Analyst XXXX | Human Resources Services Office XXXX XXXX Fax XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, exceptional service Visit My HR for all things HR For more information on My Time, visit the My Time Homepage or XXXX XXXX XXXX PAYROLL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE : This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient ( s ) and may contain confidential or proprietary information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, immediately contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. 


XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o I later received an email from XXXX stating :  XXXX Tue, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX  to me XXXX Customer Communication - Confidential Good morning XXXX XXXX This email is confirmation that your Check # XXXX was processed successfully. The XXXX tracking # is XXXX. 

Thank you and have a great week, XXXX XXXX Payroll Analyst XXXX | Human Resources Services Office 1 XXXX Fax XXXX XXXX My HRsimple solutions, exceptional service Visit My HR for all things HR For more information on My Time, visit the My Time Homepage or XXXX XXXX XXXX PAYROLL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE : This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient ( s ) and may contain confidential or proprietary information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, immediately contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o I let her know that I had received the check and thanked her for her time. 
o I proceeded to walk down to Bank of America who the check belonged to with the intent to cash the check out since they issued the check originally like I have done with other paychecks from XXXX. I did think it was strange that the account that I got paid out of was a BOA account rather than my previous XXXX checks that I could go cash out no issue. 
o The bank teller refused to cash out my check and stated it was against their policy to cash any check out that is written over {$2000.00} and that I would have to open up an account with them or find someone with an account to deposit it into. 
o Being confused on why they will not cash my paycheck out from a reputable company let alone they wrote the check and still refused to cash my check out against their account they have for XXXX. I politely leave to go to XXXX since I know they can deposit checks into my green dot account for me. 
o After waiting in line, I get to the check cashing teller and thought everything would go smooth, but it did no o XXXX was unable to read the bottom of the check in their check reader due to how Bank of America writing the information at the bottom of the check correctly. By that I mean checks are written ( routing number ) ( bank account number ) ( check number ) that is the format that all MICR check readers are programed to read. Instead Bank of America had set me up to fail anywhere I was to go to deposit the check by writing the banking account information at the bottom ( check number ) ( routing number ) ( bank account number ) so immediately XXXX check reader said failure can not read check information in relation to the bank account information and how it was formatted incorrectly. Now frustrated with this whole event and failing to deposit the check because of Bank of America I leave XXXX. 
o I proceed to cash the check using my bank account with XXXX bank and mobile uploading the check which later caused my account to get shut down due to the formatting of the check itself and them being unable to read the check or them thinking its fraudulent because a lot of checks that are printed like this are fraudulent so they shut my entire account down. Thanks bank of America. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o Take my check to my friends down the street since they have a Bank of America account and me thinking that if I have them deposit it that it will be received much faster versus going through a different bank, might as well go with the originator of the check. 
o Deposited the check at the local Bank of America atm and it successfully deposits so we think it also allowed me XXXX out of my check so on the deposit slip it says that the funds of {$4400.00} will post on XX/XX/XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o Receive an update about the check being put on hold till XX/XX/XXXX which is ridiculous since this is their own check and account, so I calmly wait it out. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o My friend receives an email from bank of America XXXX : From : Bank of America Alert XXXX Date : Fri, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX  Subject : We placed a hold on your recent deposit To : XXXX We placed a hold on a check you deposited at an ATM. The full amount isn't available yet. 





PERSONAL CHECKING/SAVINGS ACCOUNT ending in XXXX Total deposit : {$4400.00} Total amount on hold : {$4400.00} Date of deposit : XX/XX/XXXX Hold Details Amount on hold : {$4400.00} Hold reason : A hold was placed on your check ( s ) because check specific information indicates item may be returned. 
XXXX XXXX : XX/XX/XXXX by XXXX XXXX View account If we didn't tell you about this hold when you deposited the check, and the check clears, we'll refund any overdraft or returned check fees charged because of the hold. To get these fees refunded, call the phone number on your statement. 
In the meantime, check your available balance in Mobile or Online Banking to avoid overdrawing your account. You can also set up alerts to stay updated on your balance and deposits. 


We'll never ask for your personal information such as SSN or ATM PIN in email messages. If you get an email that looks suspicious or you are not the intended recipient of this email, don't click on any links. Instead, forward to XXXX then delete it. 

Please don't reply to this automatically generated service email. 
Privacy Notice Equal Housing Lender Bank of America, N.A.  Member FDIC XXXX Bank of America Corporation Attachments area o Now this is getting ridiculous so I give it more time to wait and wait till the XX/XX/XXXX which now they have violated a bunch of bank polices by holding my funds from me for no valid reason. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Bank of America suspends the depositing account or freeze the entire account not quite sure on what was going on there but all I knew is fraud departments was involved so pretty much Bank of America froze the account and flagged it as a fraudulent check either way Im not the account holder and not sure what really went on all I know is my check is lost. 
o I attempt to get ahold of XXXX XXXX by phone and by email to find out if she can retract the check or put a stop payment in it or something since no one had the funds and bank of America has not released any of the funds yet but instead we kept getting holds put on my check but never released. 
o Authorized XXXX to put a stop payment on the check or attempt too. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX o Received an update on the stop payment XXXX XXXX XXXX to do : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX ( 10 days ago ) to me Restricted - Confidential Good afternoon XXXX , I will not be able to reissue the payment as the payment is showing it was cashed on XX/XX/XXXX. I have included a copy of the payment from the bank. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX | Human Resources Services Office XXXX XXXX Fax XXXX XXXX My HRsimple solutions, exceptional service Visit My HR for all things HR For more information on My Time, visit the My Time Homepage or XXXX XXXX XXXX PAYROLL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE : This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient ( s ) and may contain confidential or proprietary information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, immediately contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.

o Now this makes no sense and they are saying that it had been deposited into the account and released back on the XXXX and when I have payroll look at the history of the check thats what bank of America reported is that the funds have already been released when they have not been and instead they have been sitting on hold unable to be released. 
XX/XX/XXXX o I have tried to talk to the bank to resolve this I have tried to talk to my friend to resolve this but basically the bank has seized my original check for no reason or they are lying to me. Either way since they reported that the funds were released when they obviously have not been and have been sitting on hold into a frozen account which may be closed now due to them flagging my paycheck. 
o They have violated various banking polices and their own banking polices while doing this during a time of emergency out country is currently in, I would believe is illegal to do. 
o They have caused me to have 2 bank accounts closed due to this check and it being written in a fashion that gets flagged by other banks systems. 
o This is illegal activity they are doing, and I could very well lose everything due to their poor customer service and banking polices they go by. 
Attached is all documents following the ownership of the check and communication between payroll and their findings along with account notifications from BOA.

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