Consumer complaint received 2016-07-18
Product: Bank account or service — Checking account
Issue: Deposits and withdrawals — 
Company: U.S. BANCORP (MO)

I live in rural Missouri. On XXXX XXXX I left for XXXX XXXX where I hosted a memorial for my father, and to scatter his ashes. On XXXX XXXX I wrote a check for {$3800.00} to replace my central air-conditioning, which had failed 2 days earlier. At the time I had {$4900.00} in my account. I have had a checking account with US Bank for over 21 years and never needed overdraft protection. Before I departed for XXXX I failed to deposit a check to my account for {$7500.00} - my mind was on the more important task of hosting a memorial. Consequently, a check I had written on XXXX XXXX for {$1800.00}, was drawn on my checking account on XXXX XXXX. Together with the air-conditioner check my account became overdrawn. I have had a checking account with US Bank for over 21 years, and to my knowledge have never bounced a check in over 18 years - in addition several years ago I had a vehicle loan through the bank, never missed one payment. I do not have a history of writing bad checks. On XXXX XXXX I deposited the {$7500.00} check to my account, however without notice the branch of US Bank in XXXX Missouri took it upon themselves to put a hold on the deposit, not releasing the money for my use until XXXX XXXX, 2016. The notice of hold I received by mail on XXXX XXXX. I have verified with the originator of the {$7500.00} check that the funds have been withdrawn from his account on Friday XXXX XXXX. After a conversation with the US Bank manager ( XXXX ) she affirmed that the hold is discretionary and they had the ability not to impose the hold, and to release the hold at any time, but she told me by law they had the right to deny me access to my money. She said that one of her employees tried to verify the check with the bank it was written on, and that it is ( that ) banks ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) policy not to verify funds. XXXX then said she checked with her supervisor ( supposedly ) and the hold will stand. I had also planned on depositing another check from the same person/bank for an additional {$7500.00} ( find copy attached ), but XXXX said that check would be put on hold also. The stated reason for the hold was for repeated overdrafts - XXXX check for {$1800.00} and XXXX direct debit for a mortgage payment, the only overdrafts I 've ever had in at least 18 years. 
My compliant is this : Despite a long history with the bank, never having had bounced checks, by law the bank can hold deposits at their will, thereby causing further hardship by the inability for me to rectify the returned checks or pay any other bills from my account. This seems like kicking a person when they are down. This is very unfair. Without access to my funds, which have already cleared the originating bank, I can not make my mortgage payments, or pay any other bills that are due, nor rectify the {$1800.00} for the XXXX check they bounced. XXXX tells me they do this for my protection, but I am quite certain it is for the banks protection. It is a fact that XXXX could have released my funds, however, if she did not like the way, or tone, I used when I spoke to her or her employees, she has the ability through the law to " punish '' me by holding my money as long as the law allowed. This is morally wrong. I do n't have a lobbyist in XXXX to protect me from banks. Additionally, during my conversation with XXXX, she asked twice what my {$7500.00} checks were for, I told her it was my money. I do believe her asking that question was an invasion of my privacy. The money could have been owed to me for XXXX different reasons that were not her business. Bottom line : I 've been unfairly denied access to money in my checking account thereby causing further hardship - for accidentally writing XXXX bad check, and XXXX direct mortgage debit to be charged to my account, and/or not being liked by the branch bank employees for the language I used with them ( like stealing ).