Consumer complaint received 2023-06-11
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OH
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
My husband and I are dealing with the death of his father last year with no will and in probate and the recent sudden death of his brother on XX/XX/XXXX, whom my husband is the executor with all legal documentation. We had to sell XXXX XXXX  cars of my brother-in-laws and had a buyer who wanted to purchase them on XX/XX/XXXX and was coming in from XXXX XXXX. On XXXX we were at the DMV and showed them all legal documents and were told XXXX could sign them over to the buyer as executor and then notarized, however, they were not open on Thursday but your local bank could notarize. On XXXX I called the Fifth Third Bank in XXXX, XXXX ( closest bank to where the cars were being sold ) and explained the situation and was told there would be no problem notarizing the titles. On XXXX I had to deposit money in my sons account and my husband asked the teller is someone would be there tomorrow around XXXX am to notarize. The teller said she has spoken to me the day before and it would be no problem but she would check. A lady came out, did not introduce herself or ask us to come in and discuss the situation or see any documentation but immediately stated she would not notarize the titles without them all being changed to my husbands name. I tried to explain the situation but she refused to listen. We went back to the DMV and asked them if all titles had to be changed to my husbands name and they stated NO that my husband had the legal authority to sign over the titles. We went back to the Fifth Third bank and again tried to speak to this lady. My husband asked her 3 times to please listen and review the legal documents but She refused to listen, refused to review any documentation, kept calling very hatefully my husband either him or you, never referred to us by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. We are very private people and she made us on both occasions discuss our private business in the middle of the lobby and kept making inappropriate statements to my husband such as I will not let you get the money ( checks were made to my brother-in -laws estate ) she could notarize who she wanted and she looked at my husband and stated she would not notarize you and when my husband asked her why she would not sign she told him because I do not like you! We were standing close because this was very private business to us and my husband became very upset at the disrespect and discourteous manner in which we were being treated and told her she needed to learn to listen and do her job and all of a sudden she started screaming in the middle of the lobby get out of my face. My husband had had enough. He turned around, started walking out, did call her a name and all of a sudden someone from the front started running out yelling she was calling the police and to get out and never come back. My husband as we were walking out told her go ahead, call the police, we did nothing wrong. We left the bank called our attorney, told her the situation and she also stated the lady should have signed. She knew what kind of stress we have been under and rearranged her schedule and came out the next day and notarized the titles herself. 
The next day I called the complaint department at Fifth Third -spoke to XXXX and gave a formal complaint. I also sent an email to XXXX XXXX, XXXX. 
A week later we received a call from XXXX XXXX, XXXX for Fifth Third telling us that this lady had filed a complaint against us and wanted all accounts terminated immediately. XXXX stated he had reviewed the video ( which we asked for and never received ) and no threat was ever made but this lady ( later learned her name was XXXX and is the bank manager ) was intimidated by my husband, he is XXXX with a gruff voice. We informed XXXX XXXX we would never set foot in the XXXX Fifth Third bank again and that we had never been treated so terribly by someone we had never met before! XXXX XXXX stated he and his boss thought everything would be ok as long as we did not go back to that bank but it was up to corporate. With all the stress we have been going through my husband and I decided we did not want a bank that treated people like this and started proceedings on changing banks. We went to our Fifth Third bank in XXXX, great people, and were told they would have signed the titles because we had filed all documentation my brother-in laws death certificate, executor papers, etc on XXXX! 
We were told to leave {$1.00} in our checking account until we could get pensions, social security ( received a letter stating do not close for XXXX months ) and automatic payments, and Fifth Third stocks transferred. 
On XX/XX/XXXX we received a call from XXXX XXXX stating that corporate wanted all accounts terminated and also because my name was secondary on our sons that their accounts were being terminated. ( They had us and my sons investigated and we had a spotless reputation ) On XX/XX/XXXX my husband received a letter stating accounts were being terminated due to inappropriate behavior and he would be prosecuted if on any Fifth Third property. 
My sons decided to change banks and were in the process also and my older son was waiting for his credit card bill so he could pay it and then close his account. 
He received the bill on XXXX and since it was a holiday went to close it out on the XXXX at the Fifth Third XXXX, Oh bank and it was frozen. He is the primary on the account and did not receive any notice! He had to explain the situation and they also stated they would have notarized the titles since all legal documentation was in there system This bank has ruined our spotless reputations. I never received a letter but just found out I was charged with inappropriate behavior ( I did NOT say or do anything inappropriate at any time ) so that they could terminate our and our sons accounts. 
I never received a response from the complaint or from XXXX XXXX and this XXXX never received any reprimands regarding her treatment of us. 
It was not investigated into why she would not listen, look at the documentation, her hateful and discourteous treatment of us- when XXXX of their own other banks said they would have notarized and our new bank and XXXX other notarys. 
After checking around I can understand why this XXXX bank has such a low rate XXXX out of XXXX and many, many complaints. 
We had been with Fifth Third for over 45 years! Fifth Third threw us away like trash. We want nothing to do with a bank that treats someone like this. We feel we were discriminated against because we pay our bills, do not have any loans, and are not making Fifth Third any money.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation