Consumer complaint received 2015-06-16
Product: Bank account or service — Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management — 
Company: KEYCORP (NY)

I became the guardian of my Aunt several months before she passed away. My aunt suffered a XXXX as well as incurring XXXX in the last several months of her life, she passed away at XXXX years old. My aunt had several accounts set up with Key Bank, each account had designated PODs ( paid upon deaths ), so when she past away, those accounts would not have to go thru probate, and they would pass on her designated beneficiaries. She had this set up with a few banks. 

While my Aunt was sick, I had to invoke the power attorney, and visited each bank branch she was dealing with and provided them with the Power of Attorney paperwork. A Key Bank manager in the XXXX office placed me on my Aunt 's main checking account as a joint owner, without seeking my aunt 's approval or signature. At the time, I did n't realize how big of an issue this was. 

When my Aunt passed away, I was appointed as the executor her estate. When I went to each bank with my Aunt 's death certificate, I found out the Key Bank had inadvertently deleted all the POD names on several accounts. I provided Key Bank with the original account setup and POD names, which matched the POD names that were currently showing on each monthly statement. Key Bank would not accept this, and told me I had to go to court and suit them to get access to the monies. 
So I engaged an attorney, spent several thousand dollars to go thru the courts, to get a judge to give Key Bank a court order to release the monies to the original POD beneficiaries. 
Once the court order was filed, Key Bank removed the funds from each account, which resulted in each account balance becoming {$0.00}, this was back in XXXX of 2014. I asked Key Bank to close the accounts, back in XX/XX/XXXX. 
I continued to get monthly statements showing {$0.00} balance. 
Back in XX/XX/XXXX of this year, XX/XX/XXXX 's statement now showed a {$25.00} service fee. I immediately called Key Bank and asked again for my deceased Aunt 's accounts to be closed. They told me I had to visit a branch office. 
That same day, I visited the branch office and spoke with the branch manager, who in turn told me I could not close the accounts at the branch, I must close them over the phone. 
I left the branch manager with my phone number and email address and asked them to stop the run around they have been putting me through, and call me to straighten this out. 
The manager said she would call Key Bank legal department and get back to me to straighten this out. 
She never called me back. 
I receive a XX/XX/XXXX Key Bank statement now showing another {$25.00} service fee, for a total of {$50.00}. I ignored it. 
The other day I got XX/XX/XXXX 's statement, showing another {$25.00}, for a total of {$75.00} in fees, and a note that they are closing the account and have contacted a collection agency to collect the {$75.00} from me. The same day, I received a letter from the collection agency. 
I called Key Bank 's main number the following day, and they promised they would straighten this out. I am still waiting for a return call. 

During this process, Key Bank has lost my personal information that they made copies of, and have cost me thousands of dollars in attorney fees, not to mention countless hours of time on the phone, traveling to branch office and aggravation. 

Now I have a collection agency chasing me for fees on accounts that were to be shut downs months ago, which could have an affect on my credit rating, which can affect my business.