Consumer complaint received 2022-06-08
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
My siblings and I assist our elderly Mother with managing her affairs. Her checking account with Chase bank has been frozen since XX/XX/XXXX. She and I have spoken personally with several of the local branch personnel, including the branch manager, XXXX XXXX. In addition we have spoken with individuals at the " executive office '' including XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. Numerous emails have been sent to these three individuals. 
Washington state XXXX XXXX XXXX  received an allegation about financial exploitation by my siblings towards our Mother, presumably from Chase bank. The allegation was investigated by XXXX XXXX, and was determined to be completely unfounded. The results of the XXXX investigation were supplied to all of the individuals already mentioned, but the account is still frozen. 
We have repeatedly asked why the account was frozen, and no answer has been given. We had submitted my Mom 's XXXX document to the local chase branch in XX/XX/XXXX, shortly after my stepdad 's death which necessitated my siblings and me to assist our elderly Mother with her affairs. This document was observed by both XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX at the local chase branch. ( XXXX XXXX, WA ) In XXXX of XXXX, XXXX XXXX, a court appointed forensic accountant who had been tasked with tracing the financial transactions of my Mom and her late husband ( to help settle the estate for which there was no will ), requested records from chase regarding transactions completed by my stepdad. At that time, XXXX XXXX told me there was no record of any POA on file for my Mom. The XXXX document was emailed to XXXX, who would neither confirm nor deny receiving it when I called later that day. In fact, he wouldn't speak to me, but gave me a phone number for the executive office. I called the number and was told that this case was assigned to XXXX, but that she was gone for the day. I emailed the XXXX document to this colleague of XXXX 's, but did not receive any confirmation that it was received. I spoke with XXXX the next business day, and emailed her the XXXX document. Again, no confirmation of receipt. This all was in XXXX of XXXX. Then I received a call from XXXX XXXX, who told me she was investigating the account, and that she was placing a hold on the account. She did not give me the reason for the hold. I emailed her the XXXX document, and did receive confirmation that she had received it. 
In XXXX, I contacted XXXX and XXXX via email, to request that my Mom could pay her property taxes and her chase credit card using her chase checking account. XXXX authorized the local branch to issue a cashier 's check to pay the taxes and a withdraw to pay the balance on the chase credit card. 
In XXXX, the XXXX office contacted me to let me know that on completion of the investigation regarding financial exploitation, they determined the allegation was unfounded. I contacted XXXX and XXXX via email requesting that the account be unfrozen. XXXX replied that I would need to take the XXXX document to the local bank. I did that. The account remained frozen. I requested the account be unfrozen yet again, and was told via email from XXXX that my sister ( who is primary financial POA ) would need to go to the local branch and give them her signature. This was done. Still the account remained frozen. I went to the local branch with my Mom and her attorney, and we attempted to close my Moms account. Nobody at the branch would speak to us about this matter, but instead gave us a phone number to contact the executive office. The executive office hung up on us 3 times while we were in the lobby of the local branch. Finally someone at the executive office told us the account was no longer frozen, but in fact, XXXX checked on his computer, and the account remained frozen. On the XXXX phone call to the executive branch, we were told that the person we had spoken to who had said it was cleared up had experienced " a miscommunication ''.

My Mom and I have visited the local branch two more times, and were unable to close her account, were unable to obtain her own cash, and were not given any reason for the continued freeze on the account, or direction as to how she could obtain access to her own funds. Chase has essentially stolen the entire checking account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation