Consumer complaint received 2024-06-13
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Closing an account — Funds not received from closed account
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA (CA)

On XX/XX/XXXX I opened a joint savings account with {$93000.00} with my mother as the primary holder at Marcus by Goldman Sachs, online. In XXXX of XXXX we tried to transfer funds from this Marcus joint acct into the savings account from which the funds originated ; it was denied. I called & was told they would only speak with the primary holder & I explained that the joint owner ( myself ) has power of attorney ( POA ) for the primary holder, I am the Attorney In Fact. They said that I needed to send them a notarized copy of the XXXX and that they wouldn't accept a notary from another country. I explained that I was out of country ( I live XXXX XXXX  XXXX and XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) XXXX returning to the XXXX in XXXX & would get the notarized POA to them at that time. XX/XX/XXXX I sent the POA to them certified mail, overnight, & they received & signed for it on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX sent me an email that the account had been closed ; I had not received a warning via email or to the address on file. I was also notified that before closing the account, they took back all of the interest that had been earned in XXXX ( {$1300.00} ) I've been receiving statements each month at the California mailing address but nothing about any concerns. On XX/XX/XXXX I spoke with a Marcus rep who said that the account had been closed & that the account funds were sent to California 's Unclaimed Property ( CA UP ) that day. They wouldn't say anything else because they said they could only speak to my mother as the primary account holder. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called Marcus again, now that they had the POA, to find out what happened with the account & how the money could be retrieved. I was told that while the POA had been received no one could talk to us about it, it hadn't been processed. The representative put in a request to have the paperwork & case expedited that day. I was told I'd be contacted once someone could speak with me. No one has contacted me as of today, XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted CA UP and was told that there are no funds under my name nor social security number, nor my mother 's. When I asked how long it takes for funds to get to them, because the account was only closed in XX/XX/XXXX, the CA UP representative told me that California law requires that an account be abandoned for 3 years before funds can be transferred to CA unclaimed funds/property. When those 3 years have passed, the bank must send the required notice to the account owners and CA XXXX. In the next XXXX, the account owners must be given a notice that the account has been declared abandoned and a time by which they can claim the funds from the bank and if those funds aren't claimed, the funds are delivered to CA XXXX on or around XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX did not follow any of these requirements and thus, CA XXXX does not have the funds. The account was opened for less than a year, no notice was given, let alone in XXXX, and they said they sent the money on XX/XX/XXXX ( CA UP does not accept funds in XXXX ), XXXX days after the account was closed. The account was never abandoned. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called and asked to speak with a supervisor/manager. I was transferred between XXXX different people at XXXX by Goldman Sachs. I shared that I had been advised to request proof of delivery of the money to CA unclaimed funds. The XXXX representatives said they could not talk with me about that, they could not provide that information but that the money was indeed sent to CA XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. They said the only way they could talk about the closed account was to have both joint owners on the phone. The XXXX person I spoke with, XXXX, told me that I was the primary account holder ( in all previous calls I was told my mother was the primary account holder ). I was also told that because the account was closed they were not able to add a POA to the account ; that means that they will not speak to us until both joint owners are on the phone. I explained that I have POA for my mother, that I'd sent the required POA and notarized paperwork to XXXX and they'd received it on XX/XX/XXXX, and that my mother would not be able to be on the call. The representative continued to say that the funds were with CA UP, they do not have the funds, and they can not talk about the closed account without both joint owners of the account, and they are unable to add a POA to a closed account. I asked for the name and/or number of a supervisor and was told that they could not give a person 's name, number, or department name and there was nothing else that could be done until my mother and I were on the phone together. This is impossible as my mother is unable to participate in financial discussions, which is why the POA is in effect. 

They have stolen my mother 's life savings and have told me they will not speak to me anymore unless my mother, joint owner, is on the call, despite the fact that I have a valid and legal POA. I have nowhere else to turn and am terrified that this money will never be returned to us.