Consumer complaint received 2019-11-29
Company: CITIBANK, N.A.
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:
My complaint is with Citibank N.A. On XX/XX/XXXX my brother XXXX XXXX XXXX while being involuntarily hospitalized in a locked XXXX facility for XXXX, XXXX and XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) at the Department of Veterans Afffairs XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA contacted Citibank stating that I had illegally removed funds ( {$4300.00} ) from his checking account, Attachment 1 and 2. 

On XX/XX/XXXX the Department of Veterans Affairs determined that my brother XXXX XXXX XXXX was iXXXX for purposes of managing VA payments.Attachment 3 and 3A. On XX/XX/XXXX I was a appointed by the VA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to be my brother 's fiduciary in order to manage his VA benefits, Attachment 4. On XX/XX/XXXX I was appointede by the Social Security Administration to be his representative payee, Attachment 5. The {$4300.00} consisted of {$3700.00} VA funds and {$560.00} in Social Security Funds. 

My brother has been diagnosed by two ( 2 ) Department of Veterans Affairs XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  and XXXX XXXX, XXXX, VA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as having major XXXX disorder ( XXXX ) with behavior XXXX and XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX   ). Attachments 6 and 7. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted a Citibank supervisor, first name XXXX, XXXX and asked him to look into my claim that my brother wrongfully froze my XXXX XXXX XXXX checking account by claiming the {$4300.00} in checks ( there were 3 ) that I wrote on his checking account were unauthorized. On XX/XX/XXXX I emailed to XXXX scanned documents from the Department of Veterans Affairs describing my brother as being XXXX for purposes of managing VA payments, from the Social Security Administration appointed me to be his representative payee, 3 letters from VA staff XXXX stating that XXXX XXXX XXXX is unable to manage his financial affairs and a letter from the VA appointed me his fiduciary. On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX, the Citibank supervisor, XXXX, asked me to email him at XXXX my brother 's {$4300.00} in expenses and a copy of the court order which was in place from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX ; which I did except for the court order ; but in a follow-up email I told him Citibank 's legal department should have known that in order for Citibank to see his court order my brother would have had to sign a release which he did not do! 

On XX/XX/XXXX I had a conversation with Citibank 's supervisor, XXXX said that I can not access my brother 's checking account. I told him I had no interest in accessing my brother 's checking since all his funds which are VA and Social Security funds and are now being deposited in a separate fidicuary account in which I control. He then proceeded to say that my brother, who is homelless, will have to contact Citibank in order to remove the freeze on my personal checking account. Citibank 's supervisor lead me to believe that if I email him my brother 's expense documents and a copy of my brother 's California court order Citibank would unfreeze my XXXX XXXX XXXX  checking account. I have suffered emotional and financial damage from Citibank by falsely stating if I followed its requests for certain documents my checking account would be unfrozen.

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