Consumer complaint received 2022-02-05
Company: M&T BANK CORPORATION
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX checks were deposited by mobile deposit on my husband and I joint checking account with M & T bank. The amounts were {$620.00} and {$370.00}. The issue seemed to start there due to the fact that both checks belonged to my daughter and she was not listed as an account member and no one signed under her name on the back of the check. 

On XX/XX/XXXX Our checking account was frozen. Which it has remind still to right now. We have made numerous trips to the bank, spent endless hours on the phone and countless emails sent and received to M & T all to have exactly the same result that we finally managed to get around XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX We received a notice in the United States Postal Service regular mail stating that a hold had been placed on our checking account and that it would be in place for 5 business days and then be removed. 

We waited until XX/XX/XXXX then we started email customer service due to not even being given the reason that the hold was placed on our account at this time! We thought for the entire first 2 weeks it was because our account received 5 refunds from XXXX right before they placed it on hold. 

I then called the bank on XX/XX/XXXX. Customer service told us that both me and the joint account holder needed to go into a local branch office with ID and sign an affidavit and then the hold would be released. We both went directly to the bank as soon as I hung up the phone. At the bank we were both informed that no it was the main account holder and my daughter whom the checks belonged to needed to come in with ID to sign the affidavit. We made sure while we were there that the bank would be able to accept an expired Kentucky State Drivers license or her birth certificate and social security card. Which is how my daughter needed help to cash a check to start with. She had just relocated to New York and her drivers license had expired while Kentucky had the DMV shut due to COVID restrictions then when they opened back up for in person she was already planning the moved back to New York. The bank said they would accept her ID. 

The bank responded back to our email on XX/XX/XXXX. Telling us that my daughter was the 2nd party needed to bring ID to the bank and sign. 

XXXX XXXX My daughter and I go in to the bank sign both affidavit along with paperwork to add my daughter to my other M & T checking account that was just mine not a joint account with my husband. The gentleman that had us sign the papers told us that the hold would be removed within the next 24 hours. 

From the First week in XXXX it has just been one message after another XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XXXX of XXXX and trips to the bank to attempt to get at the very least a date of how long the account is going to be frozen for. The last trip to the bank I was informed that our bank had yet to receive anything back for XXXX XXXX which is why our account was still on hold here. It has been 50 days with our account frozen and we have done every last little thing that the bank has said they needed to release our account but we are still in the same situation that we were XX/XX/XXXX! We have over {$9000.00} sitting in our account we have disconnect notices for all of our utilities, we have an eviction notice for our apartment, we owe both my mother and my husband 's father money from having to borrow it because we cant access our account! I was understanding the first week, even the second week but this is almost 2 months now and still no end in site. If another bank is the issue then by all means I will redo this entire complaint against XXXXXXXX XXXX. Some one just please tell me who to contact to get access to my funds. I have even tried to get the bank to transfer any of the incoming funds to my other account but to no avail. Surely 2 banks can not just freeze you checking account and keep it for however long they see fit!

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 non-monetary relief