Consumer complaint received 2020-04-07
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: VA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, the VA Department of Social Services erroneously issued a bank levy order against me in the amount of {$16000.00} on my Capitol One account. I had a previous bank levy place on my account in XXXX of XXXX and it was resolved with Social Services and the monies owed were paid ( {$6000.00} ) from this same account. At that time all other monies were released. DSS forgot to remove me from their system which issues bank levies which caused the 2nd bank levy to be issued on XX/XX/XXXX. 
When I contacted the Department of Social Services on XX/XX/XXXX, they admitted their error, apologized and said they would immediately send a release to Capitol One bank. I spoke with XXXX XXXX ( email address : XXXX ). 
The release was prepared and send to Capitol One on XX/XX/XXXX by XXXX XXXX via the fax number provided by Capitol One. I called Capitol One three times to confirm receipt and all three times they denied having received the information. I then contacted XXXX XXXX who advised me that due to COVID-19 all DSS staff were working from home and she could not resend the fax as she did not have access to a fax number. At this time she provided me with a copy of the release letter that had been sent to Capitol One in the hopes that they would accept the letter directly from me. She also agreed to call them herself so she could offer to send the letter directly from her DSS issued email. Since that time, both myself and XXXX have called Capitol One and spoken directly with the Levy and Garnishment department. In all instances, they have refused to release the bank levy stating that it is their policy that the release MUST be faxed from the same same fax number that the original bank levy was received. Due to COVID-19, this is absolutely impossible as all XXXX workers are working from home and do not have access to the original fax machine. The state of Virginia is under a Stay at Home order through XX/XX/XXXX which means that is the earliest they can accommodate this request. In the interim, I am not working due to COVID-19 and I do not have access to my much needed funds. This puts me in the position where I am unable to purchase basic essentials such as groceries and my XXXX   medications. While I understand the need for procedures and protocols, there needs to be flexibility in these procedures when a crisis of this nature hits. On Sunday XX/XX/XXXX, the Board of Governors of the Federal reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors released Interagency guidelines encouraging financial institutions to work with borrowers affected by COVID-19, consistent with safety and soundness standards. 
I understand that these guidelines are directly related to loans and borrowers, however, I am hopeful my point is not lost. if the regulators want banks to work with borrowers on their loan in order to ensure there are not mass foreclosures and BK filings, how much more necessary is it for a financial institution of Capitol Ones size to loosen their self created internal procedures in order to ensure that one of their longtime customers is able to purchase basic necessities. I am considered high risk as it relates to COVID-19 ;  without the ability to purchase my medications and basic necessities, Capitol One is putting me at more unnecessary risk, all because they are unwilling to exercise some common sense flexibility in releasing this bank levy.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief