Consumer complaint received 2017-08-23
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: CO
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, Wells Fargo mailed a letter regarding an account owned by a XXXX minor ( XXXX XXXX ) that contained funds resulting from a court settlement in XXXX. The funds were court blocked and had not been touched in almost 9 years. Wells letter stated they periodically review risk and determined this account will be closed by XXXX XXXX, XXXX, or sooner, based on risks they identified. I called Wells, and spent half a day on hold or speaking with people, including several officers, that told me they could n't tell me anything ; had no duty to tell me anything and that I should read the account agreement as Wells can do whatever they want ; and I was n't allowed to talk to anyone that was in the group that originated the letter. Since the account was Court Blocked and Wells had absolutely no right nor reason to do anything regarding that account with court approval, I filed a Guardianship action in XXXX County ( XXXX just turned XXXX that month and is fully XXXX ), where I reside and must file it ; and the District Court Judge granted it and also ordered Wells to release the funds to me. Wells refused. I submitted the Judge 's certified Order to a Wells banker and was told Wells did n't have to comply and that they required it come from the original court and be certified plus contain language that the case would close upon release of the funds. Rather than pursue a contempt for disregarding a district Judge Order, I filed a Motion in XXXX as Wells required. The Motion and proposed Order contained language that Wells required that the case would be closed. The Judge signed the Order ; I drove 25 miles to the Court to buy 2 certified copies of the Order, and I provided it to Wells. Wells still refused to release the money. They now demanded copies of the original motion in support of the Order though they had months to make such a request. Nonetheless, I had one fully executed and stamped by the Court and sent it immediately. I then was told by a Wells officer I was good to go to the branch and close the account. I went yesterday, XXXX XXXX to the branch, and the officer had to start the entire approval to release the funds approval over by phone with that risk group. Although I had the written receipt from just buying the two certified copies of the Order, the person on the phone at Wells insisted the Court 's red certification stamp had to have raised letters which is absolutely untrue in Colorado. It took a solid hour to finally get the money released. So, Wells proceeded with no justification to close a court blocked account for an XXXX protected XXXX boy with a XXXX XXXX by a date that was impossible to do anything by ; then they would n't let go of the funds and disregarded a specific District Judge Order to do so ; and then they failed to comply with the Order from the XXXX Probate Court adding new conditions and objecting to the legitimacy of the Order being certified. I 'm an attorney with 25 years of experience so I 'm well versed in all of this including nobody has used a compression stamp in a Colorado Court in decades. Wells actions are nothing short of appalling and show complete disrespect for the law and the rights of XXXX people. The boy they victimized has a terrible XXXX XXXX XXXX, and Wells never had cause to close his account to begin with. Then they made it very time consuming, expensive ( I 'd like reimbursement for all attorney fees and other costs expended plus any other damages you grant me ), and they clearly enjoyed making it almost impossible to withdraw the funds in the end as they were willing to ignore a second Court Order from the Court that first froze the funds.

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