Consumer complaint received 2015-10-02
Company: TCF NATIONAL BANK
State: IL
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XXXX XXXX, 2015 I went to my local TCF Bank ( where I had been banking for over 4 years ) in XXXX, Illinois to have the bank oversee my purchase of a mobile home. I had pre-arranged thismeeting with XXXX XXXX XXXX a banker that I had known since I first started doing businessthere ). I explained to her that I would need a bill of sale notarized ( which she said she could do ) and told her about the mobile home and the realtor 's contract and since I had recently opened an account specifically to deposit money for this purchase, I feltthat I would be safe finalizing the purchase there. I was so wrong about that. I would findout. The Realtor and Seller were there before I got there. The process of getting the checkfrom the account was endless. They ( XXXX XXXX and XXXX men I did not know from thebank ) took well over an hour to present a check for {$15000.00} drawn from my account unlike any check I had ever seen before. The XXXX male bankers signed it, I did not. It was made out to the seller with no acknowledgement about the mobile home, my name was printed in the memo section. The check made me uncomfortable but, It had taken so long for them to produce the check that my questions about it were given short shrift. To continue, first, a few hours later I found out I was not given a clear Title. The Seller and Realtor had given me a Title that still listed the Sellers dead husband on it. That was taken care of but, a few hours later I discovered that there was No working air conditioning. I was told it just did not work very well and the weather was still cool until I bought it and so I offered less money for it. There had been a slight odor that seemed to come and go but, it now reeked horribly in the heat of the mobile home. The next morning I called customer service at TCF Bank and said I had to stop payment on the check if at all possible Immediately! I was told to go to the branch because yes, the check had not cleared and I could Absolutely Stop Payment. I raced to the bank only to be told by XXXX XXXX that NO I could not stop payment. She refused to stop payment no matter what I told her about the condition of the mobile home, the awful smell smell it had etc. 
Instead she produced a letter stating if I stopped payment I would be guilty of perjury. This letter was from their XXXX XXXX XXXX, ready and waiting when I got there. XXXX XXXX was not alerted by me that I was coming. I called an attorney out of the phone book who told me I should certainly be able to stop payment ( it was my money ) and It was within a couple of days of the purchase etc. etc. XXXX was rude, threatening and nasty. I told her she was responsible for my losing {$15000.00}. She did not care. Customer service said she should have stopped payment and then told me I now would have to wait 90 days for any further action to be taken. I closed my savings account and left. I have since learned therewere numerous wrongs on the contract and that would have been ample reason to stop payment. I believe now that they would not do it because of the way they cut the check. 
They did not allow me to sign it. The XXXX bankers said they XXXX had to sign it - not me which made no sense. Now, I have never been able to live in the trailer because of the disgusting smell problems. I have been living in a motel causing me to spend all my money because I ca n't even sell the mobile home. The terrible smell which makes it uninhabitable will not go away and I 've spent so much money trying to get rid of it. 
I am divorced and alone and that 's why I felt I would have some protection by transactingthe purchase at TCF XXXX where they knew me. I am in an extended stay motel with no ability to attach a copy of this so called Official Check which has ruined my life.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation