My gripe for today

zsazsa-stl

For this story you need to know that H goes by what is legally his middle name.  Let's pretend that name is Mr. Harold Doodypants ZsaZsa.   He goes by Doodypants, and on anything formal he lists himself as Mr. H. Doodypants ZsaZsa.  

He has lived many years this way with no problem, but it seems that when we moved here and set up utilties, all records with his employer, transferred car insurance, etc, even though we filled out forms with "H. Doodypants ZsaZsa", if there was also a SSN involved, these companies took it upon themselves to change his name to match the SSN. 

So when we got a check in the mail last week for the damages on our car, it was made out to "Harold ZsaZsa."  So H takes this check to the ATM and deposits it to our account that is under the name "H. Doodypants ZsaZsa."  (I am regretting making his fictional name so long right about now).  I check online and make sure that they check is in and the proceed to write a check to transfer that money into a savings account at another bank so that it can earn three and half cents interest until the body shop gets around to us. 

And then yesterday I look in at our checking account balance and see a line that says "ATM deposit reversal" backing that check out of our account.  I call the bank.  They put me on hold, pass me around and finally hang up with a promise to call back.  I did get a call back and they say that the check couldn't be deposited because it didn't match the name on the account.  WHAT?  Since when?  He gets all kinds of stuff made out to Harold (including his paychecks) and they have never had a problem before.  They are mailing the check back to us.  When we get it, Doodypants has to go to the bank and change the name on his account to "Harold D. ZsaZsa" in order to cash the check and he is all kinds of mad about this. 

I am all kinds of mad about the checks that are going to be bouncing (because I refues to enroll in overdraft protection just because my bank like to make harassing phonecalls to convince me otherwise). 

I thought I learned in school that an endorsed check is legal tender.  I should be able to deposit a check made out to Mickey Mouse as long as Mickey Mouse endorsed it.

mrsconn23

How long have you been with your bank?!    That's some BS.

When I just did my refi, all my checks from my old loan (I got a check at closing and then another one for an escrow overage) they were in my maiden name because I never bothered to change my old loan to my married name.  They cleared the bank just fine. 

GBCK

that is total BS.

Hell, I've had things made out to "gbck" and been fine.  (really)

zsazsa-stl

That checking account has been H's for probably 10 years.  He added me to it when we got married.

AuntFlo

Talk to a manager.   Do the old "threaten to change banks" thing.   THere's no reason for him to change the name on the account.

baconsmom

That's some bull. I get checks all the time made out to Bac Mom instead of my full Bacon S. Mom that's on the account. Never had an issue. 

MNNEBride

Yup - that's some BS right there.  I have gotten checks with my maiden name and put them in our joint account without question.

pegasuskat

Is this by any chance a Regions bank?  I am still dealing with the nightmare I created when I paid my GM's bill with my checkbook.  They just keep piling on the charges!!

DG1

I'd raise hell, but I know that might not be your highest priority at the moment. WTF. 

And you might remind them that you aren't exactly foreign to their industry, kwim? It's not like me walking in there talking about money and what is or isn't legal tender.

Wzz

that's ridiculous. (eta - that the bank gave you such a hard time)

i have received checks in my maiden name. i sign them with my maiden name, and then sign them with my married name. i never once had a problem. i always endorse them with both names though, just to avoid the problems that might come along with a discrepancy.

i deal with people all day who don't use their legal first names and it always baffles me why they don't know to use their legal name, but in the end i think this is regional.

i think i have told the story about a woman named Janet Dunn, who was checking in for a flight with tickets for Holly Kolly, and she couldn't understand why i didn't think these were her tickets considering her ID was in the name of Janet Dunn.