Consumer complaint received 2018-07-17
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, our that was made out to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was cashed for {$4500.00} by an unknown person. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX stating that my property taxes are delinquent. I notified them by email, phone call, and faxed them immediately with a copy of my cleared checks. After several attempts to reach them, a rep of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, notifies me that the county places their stamp upon cashing the check. One check had the county stamp ( cleared by the county ) while the the other check had a handwritten signature on the back of the check ( altered by an unknown person and negotiated by Wells Fargo ). 
XXXX XXXX informs me to notify my bank to fill out an affidavit of forgery. I did this with our bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, we received a provisional credit of {$4500.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX I made an electronic transfer of {$4500.00} to pay the property taxes. 
Unfortunately, we were notified that Wells Fargo is contesting the credit because the altered check was not reported until months later. This was because I didnt receive the delinquent letter from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX. When I check my bank statements, I check to make sure my checks are cleared, NOT who endorsed it. It was very negligent on Wells Fargo to negotiate the check when it was CLEARLY altered and was not even questioned by a manager. This raises a red flag about Wells Fargos practices and transactions. The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is a major government agency. It is very suspicious to have a person put her name after XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on the checkline. 
We are asking for permanent retribution for this case and monetary compensation. We have spent countless hours communicating to the XXXX XXXX  to clear our delinquent property taxes, communicating with police, Wells Fargo bank, and our XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. In addition, our money was stolen for five months by another person who fraudulently endorsed and cashed our check, which was astonishingly accepted by Wells Fargo Bank. That should count as interest towards us. We have filed a police report, filed an affidavit of forgery, contacted the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX several times to waive the interest because of the delinquent taxes, addressed the foreclosure letter from our bank due to delinquent taxes, and complied with all requests to clear this matter. In the long run, we have been emotionally drained by this case. We are not the criminals, but actually the victims of this forgery. Nonetheless, someone got away with stealing our funds and yet we are being punished for it. We are asking for what is ours and for this case to be closed. 
Please see the evidence from the XXXX XXXX  clearing our case as well as the altered and non-altered checks made out to the county. We prefer to avoid any negative publicity towards Wells Fargo. We want retribution and monetary compensation for this ordeal. You can contact us below either by phone or email. 

Thank you.

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