Consumer complaint received 2016-09-29
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: NC
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: (CD) Certificate of deposit
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
In the XXXX, under very different tax laws, I opened two IRA cds at a small local bank near where I lived and practiced law. The name I used on the accounts was and is my professional legal name that was also my birth name, and a name restored to me after my divorce from my XXXX husband. At the time I opened the accounts I was married to my XXXX husband to whom I remained married until his XXXX 8 years ago. I have not moved or remarried since Chase has been the successor to my accounts. I use my XXXX husband 's last name socially, but still use my birth/professional name in some business situations and it is on one of my XXXX credit cards still in frequent use. Both names are on my bank account, both names have been used on tax returns filed jointly with my husband, and the annual tax statements supplied by Chase are reflected on my tax returns every year as untaxed IRA accounts. Two years ago I wrote Chase ( there are no Chase branches anywhere near where I live in my retirement ) and requested they disburse to me the proceeds of both accounts. I am at an age where I may remove these funds without penalty. They replied that I had to fill out extensive forms. I did. Then they wrote and said I had to have my signature warranted by my bank. I did. Every time I provided them with information they would wait a month or so then ask for more personal information. When my husband died I inherited his IRA and when I transferred it to XXXX I requested they contact Chase and have the funds from my Chase IRA transferred and combined as is allow under tax law. I told XXXX how many problems I had with Chase, but they said Chase would not argue with them. But Chase refused. I need my money for repairs on my house, so when I was in Florida, where I knew there was a Chase branch, I took all my files of years of statements from Chase and its three predecessors, my driver 's license, my Florida XXXX, my social security card, my current checking account information. Surely that was enough evidence for them. They promised to mail the checks for the 2 cd IRAs to me at the address that has always been on my statement and the place where I have lived year round for 22 years. Instead I got yet another letter requiring my " marriage license, divorce decree and a court order listing my new name. '' I have no new name and the name they have chosen for me is different from what I use as my married or my birth/professional name. I have only one social security number of course. I am not divorced, I am a XXXX. I called Chase and they gave me no reasons for their demands, stated no legal requirement that they think requires me to use this name. They refused to let me speak to someone in their legal department. This is rampant sexual discrimination and they have no valid reason to treat me with such disrespect. It is bizarre that they think they can make me change my name to a name I do not use, and that they have never had on my account, to fit some employee 's idea of what is correct. There must be hundreds of thousands of other married professional women who use their maiden name for business purposes. Please help me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation