Consumer complaint received 2021-01-06
Company: SANTANDER BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Can't close your account

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX we moved my father from Massachusetts to live with us in Florida as he became severely XXXX. He died XX/XX/XXXX. I am his executrix, but I entered a hospital XX/XX/XXXX and was not released until late XX/XX/XXXX. We were aware of his accounts, having received forms XXXX as well as stock statements, but had no idea as to whom the named beneficiaries are. We retained a Massachusetts attorney to assist with the necessary state filings. Due to my hospitalization the attorney advised us to have my daughter ( Dad 's granddaughter and only other living relative ) named as Personal Representative.. 

Nearly all of the accounts have been settled, except for one ; a passbook account with Santander Bank. We saw a Form XXXX from XXXX in Dad 's papers, which led my husband ( a XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX ) to believe that a passbook account existed at Santander at some point ( an IRA also existed there ). Once the state filings were complete, my daughter sent a letter on XX/XX/XXXX advising the bank of Dad 's passing, enclosing the approved state filing and referencing an IRA and possibly a passbook account. No response was received. 

Please be advised that I was hospitalized for some 18 weeks, am still severely compromised and XXXX, and have been unable to devote my full attention to this matter until recently. My husband has tried to help me, but as neither an accountholder, beneficiary, or executor the institutions are largely unable to answer his questions. 

I called them on XX/XX/XXXX and was advised that my daughter was named beneficiary of the IRA, balance approximately {$25000.00}, and that a passbook account indeed existed, balance approximately {$41000.00} of which I am the named beneficiary. The gentleman was quite helpful. He noted that He advised me to submit another letter referencing the passbook account and for my daughter to do the same referencing the IRA, both with original death certificates. He gave me the address of the XXXX Department in XXXX and said to direct the letters there. 

Having received no response, on or about XX/XX/XXXX I again contacted Santander. The woman who answered told me that my request was received but that it had not yet been processed due to a backlog resulting from many COVID-19 cases. She contacted the XXXX Department and called us back, saying they informed her that they had no idea when the account would be settled and a check issued to me. 

Having again not heard from the bank, I called them today. This time I was told there was no evidence that the XX/XX/XXXX letter had been received, and that there was no way for her to contact the " Fulfillment Department '' as employees were not provided with a phone number or extension ( she said there was no XXXX Department ). I put her on the phone with my husband as I was at a loss as to what to do next. 

My husband informed her that he would be filing a CFPB complaint ; she asked him for a phone number where one of us could be reached as she would attempt to find out the status of my claim ( I thought she couldn't reach the Fulfillment Department? ). My husband gave her my phone number but informed her he would be filing a CFPB claim regardless as over six months had now elapsed and she could find no evidence of a claim. 

No one has since contacted me. 

My husband did some research on this bank 's regulatory history prior to helping me with this claim. He found : XX/XX/XXXX, by CFPB, CFPB fines Santander XXXX $ XXXX for fair-lending violations. Santander XXXX will pay {$4.00} XXXX to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to address charges that it knowingly supplied inaccurate consumer credit data to the XXXX major credit reporting agencies. 

XX/XX/XXXX, by CFPB, Overdraft services signed up for without consent, fined {$10.00} XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX, by subprime auto lending unit USA, settled with 24 states, high default probability, {$550.00} XXXX, mostly in loan forgiveness. 

XX/XX/XXXX, by XXXX, anti-money laundering breach, fined {$1.00} XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX unit for FAILING TO 40,428 SETTLE DECEDENT ACCOUNTS, fined equivalent of XXXX {$42.00} XXXX. 

Thank you for your anticipated prompt assistance with this matter. My husband plans to also apprise our congressional representatives of this situation.

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