Consumer complaint received 2023-05-04
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Can't close your account

Complaint:
My mother died on XX/XX/XXXX. At the time of her death, she had a checking account at XXXXXXXX XXXX with a balance of nearly {$43000.00}. I fist contacted them to close the account on XX/XX/XXXX. They required I go to the branch face-to-face with her death certificate to close the account. I live in XXXX, WA. I had to travel more than XXXX XXXX miles to hand deliver the death certificate. On XX/XX/XXXX, I traveled to the XXXX XXXX to hand deliver the death certificate. I also gave a copy of the court order naming me personal representative of my mother 's estate. XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX decedent affairs to ask about the progress in closing the account and was told that I had to take a second cross country trip to request the funds in person. After insisting to speak with a manager, I was told that I could close the account by mail if I sent another copy of the court order naming me executor of her estate because they needed a copy with a raised seal. I had to pay a lawyer to get a copy with a raised seal. I sent that to Santander Decedent affairs on XX/XX/XXXX. 

They refuse to give me the money. 

Sometimes they tell me that I have to travel to XXXXXXXX XXXX  to pick up the check. 
Sometimes they tell me that my mother does not have an account and that the account number printed on her last statement from when she was alive is not a real account and that it doesn't even have the right number of digits for an account. 
Sometimes decedent affairs tell me that the money is waiting for me at the branch where my mother opened the account. Before taking another XXXX XXXX mile round trip to collect the check, I called the branch. There is no check and they have no idea what I am talking about. 
Sometimes, they insist that my father is a signatory on the account and only can get the money. He died more than XXXX years ago. 
Sometimes, they tell me that I am a signatory on the account ( because my name is the same as my deceased father ) and that I can't close the account through decedent affairs because I am not dead. 
Sometimes they tell me that I never brought my parents death certificates to the branch. 
Sometimes they they have me mail copies of the documents to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX MA XXXX. Other times, they tell me to mail copies to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX MA XXXX with no explanation of what's different in the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX 

Their excuses are different every time. 

They also insist that Santander Bank does not have a complaints department or a process for disputes resolution. They refuse to give me anything in writing. They make me call them on the phone. I frequently get disconnected after being on hold for more than XXXX minutes. 

Please help. That {$43000.00} is a major part of my mother 's legacy of caring for her family. We really need it. It shouldn't take more than six months of repeated requests for them to close a deceased person 's 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