Consumer complaint received 2020-03-19
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: NC
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage

Complaint:
I own a home which is paid for in full ( that has no mortgage on it ) with my XXXX Mother, whom I am the Legal Guardian of ; therefore, I am licensed by the State of North Carolina to handle all of her Business Affairs, Real Estate Transactions, any and all Legal Affairs, etc. 

I contacted Discover Bank/Home Equity Loans to put in an Application to acquire a Home Equity Loan for the continued care of my mother, and for her XXXX  Accessibility needs. 

However, when I attempted to put in our Application over the phone, I was refused service by XXXX - MLS # XXXX. He said that I would have to put my mother on the phone, or he wouldn't process our application ; not in my name, or hers. Then I explained to him that I was her Legal Guardian, and offered to submit my Guardianship Documentation to him via email, fax, mail, etc., for him to review, and/or for their Discovery Bank Lawyers to review as well. 

After telling me it was against Discovery Bank Policy to  honor a Power-of-Attorney, I then explained to XXXX that a Power-of-Attorney is a lesser authority and is given by an individual and can be revoked by them at anytime ; but Legal Guardianship is when the State along with a Physician removes the rights of an individual and gives it to someone else who can act for their best interest. I told him that my mother could not make an agreement with Discover Bank because she wouldn't be able to XXXX  or XXXX   the terms of a Contract ; therefore, I have been appointed by the State of North Carolina to act upon her best interests. 

When he still refused to allow me to submit an application, I then asked to speak with his Manager. And a Supervisor ( who wouldn't get on the phone with me ) named XXXX, refused to allow me to submit my Guardianship paperwork, and she too refused to allow me to submit an application for a loan. 

I told XXXX that not allowing me to put in an application along with my mother was Discrimination ; that because she is unable to XXXX  with him XXXX, and because Discover Bank refuses to make accommodations so that a XXXX person can have the same accessibility and rights to apply for a loan just like everybody else, that what he was doing is illegal. And again, he still refused to allow me to put in an Application. 

Then I asked and insisted again to speak directly to a Manager, and this time XXXX - MLS # XXXX got on the phone to speak with me. I again offered to submit proper documentation to show that I'm allowed to manage all Business and Real Estate Affairs for my mother, and am legally allowed to and an legally obligated/responsible for placing an Application with Discover Bank, and she told me it is against Discovery Bank 's policy to honor any Power of Attorney or Guardianship Representation. THAT IS A QUOTE, and I was also told that our telephone call was being recorded by Discover Bank. After that, XXXX again refused to check with their Attorneys ( which I asked her to do more than once ), and she too refused to allow me to put in an application for a loan. 

DISCOVER BANK should be fined heavily by the State of North Carolina, and they should be made to allow all individuals the right to put in a Loan Application without being discriminated against because of their XXXX, without discriminating against the elderly, or training their employees to deny XXXX  people accessibility to their services. What Discovery Bank and their Employees did to me hurt me ... and it hurt my mother too, while I'm trying my best to do everything that I can to try and protect her from this Coronavirus Outbreak ; and just from those bad memories alone, they should not be allowed to do that to anybody else! Period!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation