Consumer complaint received 2017-06-09
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: NY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
My sister and I are beneficiaries on my grandmothers will. My grandmothers accounts were held at  Citizens B ank in    XXXX   XXXX  .   The  Branch Manager of th is branch  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  transacted on my grandmothers accounts and helped the family even though she has married into the fa mily ( problem # 1 ). After  my grandmothers passing, I was not informed of my beneficiary status u ntil   XXXX   XXXX    2015  which was   two  months after her passing. Once we were informed, we started asking about assets and were told that all accounts at Citizens were held jointly ( see attached letter ). After getting an attorney and finally receiving documents from the bank thru our respective attorney 's, my sister and I find this is not the whole truth. In fact their documents are contradictory ( see attached documentation, with notes  ). T he letter from the  Branch Manager  states all accounts were joint three ways with each child of my grandmothers, when in fact the documentation from the office of the Chairman say they were joint just between  two  siblings. When you look further at the statements you will notice that  one  checking account does n't reflect a joint statuts until the      XXXX   XXXX  2015  state ment which was after my grandmothers death. In addition  one  the signature card of this particular account says updated fiduciary signature card which would detail that of a POA relationship, not joint. The signature of my grandmother is not genuine and looks significantly different than those on the original cards as well. With so many discrepancies, we have asked the bank to fully investigate the  Branch Manager to find  out what occurred with these accounts, and to put them back to their original status so that they are considered part of the estate. Please note when I a sked the Branch Manager ab out the letter she wrote, she told me twice that " it was her signature '' when asked if she typed it and if she wrote it on the date of    XXXX   XXXX  2015 .     She did not lay claim to writing the letter.   At this point I have only lies from this bank and contradictory information. The bank should legally have to investigate based on my complaint. The details they might not be able to explain to my sister and I, though they should be able to disclose their action and why there are discrepancies in their documentation. When I spoke to the office of the Chairman, specifically  XXXX   XXXX , she barely cared to take my concerns, and she cut me off telling me that I have no relationship to the account and she will disclose nothing. When I asked her to please hear me out and listen to all of the discrepancies we found in what she provided our attorney, she seemed uninterested. I asked what follow up I would have from her and she basically told me none because of my relationship to the accounts. I have every right to know what occurred on the accounts that to my recollection were not joint prior to my grandmothers death, and so those that benefited from those accounts, should have shared equally with my sister and I as we were  all 1/4  ( my sister and I 1/8 ) equal beneficiaries. Citizens is hiding behind the titling of the accounts, and told me the only way for me to get resolution was to get a subpoena and to sue them. I will be also taking this action as my attorney is drafting the lawsuit as I write this. I ca n't believe this mismanagement and covering that this bank has taken part in, after being informed on  two  separate occasions of this fraud.  <P/> Please see all of the attached documentation that the bank provided which is in complete contradiction to the letter that was sent by the  Branch Manager o f the  XXXX  branch. There is also supporting documentation of the joint status not showing up until after my grandmothers death based on statements.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation