Consumer complaint received 2018-03-03
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Cashing a check

Complaint:
We have been customers of Suntrust for almost eight years having our mortgage with your bank. Unfortunately, we were one of the cities ( XXXX XXXX, FL ) devastated by hurricane Irma in XX/XX/XXXX and as a result we had extensive damage to our home. Our insurance carrier XXXX XXXX was very responsive in sending an adjuster to our home and in about 3 weeks - a check was sent to us in the amount of. {$35000.00} The check was dated XX/XX/XXXX!! The check was made out to Suntrust Bank, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX ( equity loan ) and ourselves. I proceeded to take the check to your location in XXXX XXXX to have it signed and endorsed. It was then that I was told by XXXX XXXX at the Suntrust XXXX XXXX branch that it had to be sent to the Loss Draft department to be endorsed. She sent the check overnight to your XXXX office. 
XX/XX/XXXX we received the UNENDORSED check by snail mail saying that it had to be endorsed by XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX FIRST and all other parties concerned before Suntrust would endorse it! COMPLAINT # 1 Why werent we told this by the XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX before we wasted 3 weeks sending the check back and forth? I am sure this was not the first Hurricane insurance check she had handled. 
XX/XX/XXXX-We received a letter stating all necessary documents that were needed before we could be issued our money. which included 5 items COMPLAINT # 2 -  Why were we not told this when we first brought the check to XXXX XXXX? 
So upon receiving this informationI took the check to XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. After a few phone calls to their Loss Draft department, the check was properly endorsed without any complication or difficulty. I immediately went back to Suntrust Bank and gave it to XXXX XXXX again she then sent everything again overnight. 
XX/XX/XXXX-Concurrently we received a 3rd letter stating that my legal name was not the name on the insurance policy - this has never been a problem with other banks, only Suntrust. So I called my insurance company and they took care of it immediately. 
My husband and I expected that we would be getting a endorsed check in a a week or so. Well, we were never so wrong! Suntrust sent it back again stating that the information about the contractor was inconclusive. 
We didnt get the check signed by Suntrust in the mail until XX/XX/XXXX almost THREE MONTHS later since we first brought our check to you for endorsement!!!!! This is totally unacceptable! Suntrust is not client friendly- they do not care about customers with regard to the fact that we just had a hurricane and need to get our home repaired as quickly as possible. All they care about is paperwork and red tape to make it as difficult as they can to prevent us from receiving our money so we could repair hurricane damaged our home. I understand that there are procedures to be followed but each step should not take 2 to 3 business days for each step- ( *note timeline below ) COMPLAINT # 3They should have some compassion for those in this situation and make exceptions when our area has been determined to be a disaster area by the governor of Florida! !! .We still have a large tarp over our roof and if it rains we will have more stains on the ceilings and possible leaks! Also, please note that they did NOT send us the full amount of the check- COMPLAINT # 4 they still have {$5100.00} of OUR MONEY that we need to finish the repairs! 
We had a trip planned, but had to postpone it because of the delay of Suntrust in the processing of our check. We needed our check to give the contractor the deposit so he would put us on the list and not delay the roof replacement even more. As a result of this we could not leave until we received our Suntrust endorsed check on XX/XX/XXXX!!!! 

Now I will proceed to tell you the dates and persons involved in this horrible delay and the circumstances that I feel were not appropriate. First of all, Suntrust has the starting date for getting this check signed at or around XX/XX/XXXX. This is not true as we started this process of getting the check signed in XX/XX/XXXX right after we received the check dated XX/XX/XXXX The documentation requested was sent to Suntrust on XX/XX/XXXX Now the timeline-Sometime after XXXX my husband called to ask about the check as he expected that we should have received it by now-he was told by XXXX XXXX that they were waiting for the XXXX to be sent to Suntrust. My husband called the contractor to ask about it - the contractors secretary told my husband that it was faxed to Suntrust already. Suntrust said they did not have it. COMPLAINT # 5 why didnt someone from The Suntrust Loss-Draft department call to indicate to us that the XXXX was not received if this was what they needed to start their lengthy process. So. the contractor once again sent the XXXX to Suntrust. Again we waited for weeks- no check. Now- at this point I realized that no one at Suntrust was going to show any consideration or concern for us so, I began making phone calls on a daily basis to find out what was the status of our check being endorsed since no one at Suntrust had shown any concern for our situation and never called us back when they said they would or returned any of our calls when we left a message COMPLAINT # 6 ( one exception - XXXX did call back once ) XX/XX/XXXX - I spoke to XXXX XXXX to ask what was the status of our check? some of the information given to me was that the XXXX was not filled out properly- that XXXX the name of the company was on the second line, not the first! Now you know yourself that when you are filling out a paper it is sometimes confusing if they want the name above or below the line indicated. this was corrected and it was faxed again. 
XX/XX/XXXXThe XXXX was sent back again a second time because it was not dated someone couldnt put the date on the XXXX COMPLAINT # 7 no one called ME to say there was an error in the XXXX it was only because I called them that I was given the info about this. If I hadnt called them we would probably still be waiting for the check. 
XX/XX/XXXX - called and spoke to XXXX - said that all she knew was that the XXXX was inprocessingand it takes 2-3 business days to go through the IRS system XX/XX/XXXX - called again and spoke to XXXX who assured me that she would expedite the process. 
XX/XX/XXXX - spoke to XXXX again- she said that in was in process and that she will call back. COMPLAINT # 8 She never called back. 
XX/XX/XXXX - I realized that I was getting nowhere with all of this red tape and being totally stressed out at this point I asked for supervisor - spoke to XXXX Now we are told a new reason why the money can not be sent to us.- She said that the contractors company XXXX was not in the system, so Suntrust could not print the check until they were in the system. That would take 2-3 business days. Why didnt they put the contractors name in the system when they first received the XXXX? Everyone is in the same building so WHY does it take 2-3 business days to put someone in the system Sounds like a very inefficient and inadequate process! C0MPLAINT # 9 If they can take money out of my account in seconds, it shouldnt take 2-3 days to put someone in the system I explained that we had a roof that needed repairs, that my elderly husband was so stressed about this that he could not even come to the phone to discuss or to hear all the excuses from anyone he spoke to regarding our check. 
XX/XX/XXXX - I called again and spoke to XXXX who had no knowledge or information at all. She told me to look online for myself and see the status of our check.- great customer service - do it yourself! She stated that she would check for me and quickly hung up! She said she would call me back but never did. COMPLAINT # 10 XX/XX/XXXX - spoke to XXXX again - she restated that XXXX was not in the system and so nothing could be done until they were processed. She said that she would text a message to XXXX XXXX the manager for the department to try to expedite the process. I asked her why she couldnt go to his office and tell him - she said that they were not allowed to do that - it had to be a text. COMPLAINT # 11 - What kind of company only allows a text when there is an emergency such as a hurricane? 
XX/XX/XXXX -called and spoke to XXXX- he said he would go and try to find XXXX - but he could not find him. He never seems to be at his desk when you need him.He said that everything was in order and approved and it would take 2-3 days for the check to be printed.COMPLAINT # 12 another 2-3 days!!!!!!! 
XX/XX/XXXX - spoke to XXXX she said that XXXX XXXX sent me a message about the status of the check - I never received a message. The message was to say the he expedited the process. 
XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX answered- walked to XXXX desk- XXXX said XXXX would call me this afternoon - I waited 3 hours - he never called. Complaint # 13 He was not available, but would call today or tomorrow - there was no update on the account other than it was in processing " XX/XX/XXXX I kept calling and finally caught '' XXXX at his desk and spoke to him. He said that he would make sure that the check was printed and sent and that I would receive it before the end of the week. it would take 2-4 days to have it printed and then sent out overnight. Complaint # 14 Each step is a different department. Such red tape, no organization- totally unnecessary. Then he said that the money- had to be sent from another Suntrust restricted escrow account in order for the check to be printed so that was a few more days. He indicated - so I thought _ that the entire amount would be sent to us.- It was not!

When I did not hear from him, I called him 5 times over 2 days - no answer- just his recording. I never heard from XXXX again.COMPLAINT # 15 He obviously did not want to talk with me as he sent others to tell me the status of the check. I think that is because when I spoke to him he did not like what I said to him about the incompetence of his department. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX emailed XXXX - he confirmed to her that everything was in order and the check would be printed and mailed this week. I called XXXX twice again - left messages, no answer from him. Complaint # 16 XX/XX/XXXX Finally I received a tracking number from speaking with XXXX XXXX the overnight letter took 2 days to get to me, not one.Complaint # 17 They didnt mail the check until XXXX as indicated when I checked the tracking- so it took 2 days. 
XX/XX/XXXX After I got the check I called and spoke with XXXX XXXX. I asked her what happened to the remainder of the money issued to us by our insurance company? She indicated that to get the remainder of the money {$5100.00} - we would have to go through all this again - Is she kidding?? 
We still have things to repair besides the roof of our house. It will cost more than the {$5100.00} that is due to us! We own more than 60 % of the equity in our home. We have every intention of doing all the necessary repairs. We have finally given the deposit to XXXX to repair our roof. Now, because of the delay in giving them the deposit we are on a waiting list. It may be several months before our roof will be repaired. This delay is due to the fact that your personnel did not find it necessary to contact us when necessary documents were not acceptable and of all your steps in the processing of our check and having to go to so many departments each taking 2-3 business days. My husband and I are thoroughly disgusted with this entire situation. It will be four months since we have started this endorsement process. Our insurance company can not understand the delay. They were ready to inspect the roof and the repairs. I had to laugh and tell them that we had not even started yet because of your extensive processing.

Our contractor has done many roof repairs and he said that Suntrust is the only bank that has been almost impossible to deal with when it comes to getting the checks endorsed. Maybe you should consider changing your process. Find out how other banks like XXXX XXXX are assisting and helping those impacted by hurricane Irma rather than making the situation more difficult. than necessary. 
Thanks for your consideration and time to hear what we had to say and how we feel about Suntrust and their unacceptable and inadequate assistance during a very stressful and trying time.. We demand and expect the remainder of our check to be sent to us immediately without delay so that we can continue with the repairs of our home. We are not interested in any more delays, processing or excuses! We want action now! I am sure you have heard the saying Enough is Enough!!

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