Consumer complaint received 2024-12-24 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Company closed your account
Company: WEBSTER BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
My mother died on XX/XX/XXXX. The following business day I notified her local Webster Branch which was located on XXXX XXXX in XXXX, CT, in person, of her passing. I was notified that I would need an official death certificate to prove her death. On that same day, I called social security and her reverse mortgage company, to notify them, of her death. When, in the next few days, the official death certificates were made available by XXXX XXXX XXXX, I remitted a paper copy to this local Webster Bank branch. There was never a thought in my mind that XXXX years later, the bank would claim to have NEVER received her certificate of death! 

Be aware that when I was finally allowed access to her safe deposit box, on XX/XX/XXXX, for emptying, I was ALSO given copies of her bank statements from XX/XX/XXXX until her account was overdrawn in mid XXXX. This XXXX balance occurred because the bank never froze her account. Now, in her statement of that first month after death, you can see where social security deposited her monthly benefit on the XXXX, and by the XXXX, they had taken the remittance back. This was done BECAUSE I HAD notified SS of her death. How can this bank claim to be unaware of her death when they received not 1, but 2 notifications of my mother 's passing? I do not know what info Social Security gives a bank, what reason is given for the withdrawal of it's own remittance, but I find it impossible to believe that this withdrawal of a social security remittance went unnoticed, and, that the reason for the withdrawal was due to the RECIPIENT 'S DEATH! Since I had no legal access to see that these autopayments continued beyond her death, there was no way I could stop these auto-pays from being withdrawn. Now I find myself fighting with a bank over a copy of a death certificate because they baldly claim they never received it. How convenient since this occurred at a branch that has been closed for a few years and I wonder if the files could actually be found. If they are found it is a simple matter to remove a death certificate and claim it was never received. Was I supposed to fingerprint the recipient? Have them sign some piece of paper which wouldn't constitute a legal document, that they were in receipt of a legal, notarized death certificate? That Webster intends to keep the monies they withdrew for overdraft charges ( on a dead woman ), PLUS the monies they allowed to be withdrawn via auto payments is astonishing and heartbreaking. I did every single thing I knew to do, and I am still waiting to receive the funds from her checking account to help assuage the cost of her cremation. Please help me to move forward with Webster on this as I most definitely notified them 2 times, both in person, the 2nd time bearing her official certificate of death. That the auto pays were for home owners insurance, again, for a dead woman whose entire home was owned by HUD, is galling because as soon as her money was gone, the reverse mortgage holder was then forced to make payments itself, which it should have been doing, starting the month after she died! It was their house and yet they still wanted a dead citizen to pay for insurance she no longer needed. I do have an issue as well with the reverse mortgage company due to their rapacious tactics, but my mother DID sign the contract, so, while she lived, it was her problem. As soon as she died, it should be the reverse mortgage holder 's problem... I am still amazed they have left her house unoccupied and the taxes unpaid for 4 years, as of tomorrow, XX/XX/XXXX! 

Please let me know that you have forwarded this to Webster Bank. I am sick that they allowed her account to dwindle to XXXX despite obvious notification of her death by myself AND the Social Security department. Also, is there a paper receipt ANY bank offers upon receipt of a certificate of death from a family member? This seems like an easy way for banks to take advantage by simply " claiming '' non-receipt of the notarized certificate. 

I appreciate your help in getting me access to her accounts. This problem occurred AFTER that complaint was resolved, so it IS a new complaint because it was the first time, on XX/XX/XXXX, that I knew her account had been " raided. ''

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief