Consumer complaint received 2019-01-21
Product: Checking or savings account — Savings account
Issue: Managing an account — Banking errors
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (NY)

Dear Sir or Madam : I am writing to express my concern and dissatisfaction over Citizens Banks role in the estate of my late grandmother, XXXX XXXX XXXX, who owned three accounts at Citizens Bank when she passed away. Specifically, Citizens Bank made inaccurate and inconsistent written representations regarding the ownership of my grandmothers accounts, which became the crux of extended litigation at her passing and which resulted in me having to incur legal fees in excess of {$23000.00}. I believe that much of the litigation could have been avoided had Citizens Bank provided accurate information. 

My sister, XXXX XXXX, and I were statutory distributees of the estate of our grandmother, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and therefore, we were entitled to be provided with information relating to any financial accounts our grandmother may have owned ( individually or jointly ) during her lifetime. Therefore, at the onset of the administration of the estate, we requested that the executors of her estate provide us with information regarding her Citizens Bank accounts, for the purpose of determining whether such accounts should be treated as estate assets. 

We were provided a copy of a letter from Citizens Bank dated XX/XX/XXXX, signed by XXXX XXXX, the XXXX Branch Manager, which states that all three bank accounts owned by XXXX XXXX XXXX were held jointly with XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, and XXXX XXXX. A copy of the XX/XX/XXXX letter is attached. 

Initially, we were concerned because the statement that there were three other co-owners on all of her accounts was inconsistent with what we had previously known and because the statement was prepared by XXXX XXXX, who is married to a relative of our family. I personally visited the XXXX XXXX and asked Ms. XXXX to confirm the veracity of the letter. She was evasive and only confirmed that it was her signature on the letter. 

As a result of our concerns, we were forced to commence a proceeding in XXXX   Court pursuant to XXXX Court Procedure Act requesting that the Court order the executors to provide supporting documentation to support their assertion regarding the ownership of the decedents bank accounts. The Court granted our petition and entered a decree on discovery dated XX/XX/XXXX and ordered the Executors to provide us with the requested information. 

In response to the Courts Order, we were provided a letter from XXXX XXXX of the Office of the Chairman of Citizens Bank dated XX/XX/XXXX, which states that on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX was removed from the accounts ending XXXX and XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX were then added as joint account holders to all of the aforementioned accounts. The letter states that the account changes were made on XX/XX/XXXX ; however, the signature cards that were provided are dated XX/XX/XXXX. 

Notably, there is no mention in Ms. XXXX letter that XXXX XXXX was a joint owner on any of the accounts which directly contradicts the letter dated XX/XX/XXXX from XXXX XXXX, the XXXX Branch Manager. A copy of the XX/XX/XXXX letter is attached. 

We were also provided statements for Citizens Bank account ending XXXX that do not support either the XX/XX/XXXX letter or the XX/XX/XXXX letter. Rather, the statements showed that the account was held by XXXX XXXX and her husband, XXXX XXXX, for the entire requested period through XX/XX/XXXX. It is not until the XX/XX/XXXX statement, after the death of XXXX XXXX, that XXXX XXXX name had been removed from the statement and that XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX appeared on the account statement as co-owners. 

In light of these inconsistencies, we were forced to commence a second proceeding in XXXX Court requesting that the Court hold a hearing on the status of the ownership of the Citizens Bank accounts and ordering the executors to return the accounts to the estate to be distributed in accordance with our grandmothers Will.

The parties ultimately settled the matter without having to proceed to a full hearing on the issues. Again, however, I strongly believe that had Citizens Bank provided accurate information from the beginning, I would not have had to incur legal fees to obtain the correct information.