When Do They Take Your Money?

[free_spirit_etc]

I posted here quite some time ago about the VA taking money back out of my bank account for my husband's final check. I thought they had taken it. But they still haven't.

They placed a HOLD of the funds on my account (or probably more appropriately, they tried to place a hold on our joint account - and since that was closed the BANK placed a hold on MY account) - but they still haven't taken the money.

The hold was placed May 20, 2007. The hold is still there - and the bank says it will stay there until the VA either takes the money or releases the hold.

It seems odd that they would hold the money so long without taking it.

And it also aggravates me that they can keep an eternal hold on my money.

I wish they would either take it or give it back.

Every time I check my account balance I am reminded that I have money that the VA won't let me spend and there isn't much I can do about it.

Free

[Philip Rogers]

Free - haven't figured out what RDFI is, yet. I think the bank is in error. You'll find many organizations claim rules that probably don't exist, that's why "if it can't be read it wasn't said" holds true. Tellers are notorious for making up rules. jmo

pr

[free_spirit_etc]

RDFI - Receiving Depository Financial Institution.

Thanks. I have just pulled up info for the National Credit Union Administration. This was an off base branch of a Base credit union.

But yes..they have sent me off chasing the wrong rabbits.

I also had the phone company make unauthorized withdrawals from my account in April and May. The funds were never applied to my phone bill -- and I didn't authorize the withdrawals. THe credit union's answer -- turn your phone off - then they can't take funds out of your account.

I tried to explain to them that shutting my phone off would do no good - as the funds were being withdrawn from the bank - without being connected to my phone number.

That is when I closed the joint account the VA tried to reclaim money from. I closed it to keep the phone company from debiting my account without my permission.

However - I have been fighting with the phone company for several months. It takes an hour to go through all the "let me check your phone bill." "No - we didn't take it out of your bank - because it isn't showing on your account." Maybe it is the OLD AT&T. We are the NEW AT&T --Let me transfer you....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I have been through this with THEM too.

Finally after an hour or more someone will get a supervisor (supposedly) who promises to investigate --and to credit my phone bill for the money they took.

But that never happens. I call back to check the status --and the whole thing starts over again. They say they can't track it by bank account number - they can only track it by phone number. There has been no invetigation or even the pretense of one.

I have finally started my dealings with the phone company writing this week - and also sent a complaint to the FCC.

But I am just now realizing the credit union SHOULD have actually resolved this when I reported the unauthorized withdrawals.

Besides closing my account - they should have reclaimed the money that was taken from my acount without authorization -- as I reported it within the time frame.

Free

[Philip Rogers]

Free - I figured RDIF was something like that. I've found it best not to allow any company access to your bank account, thru on-line or e-payment methods. I, personally, setup one credit card, with a low credit limit, thru which I make all on-line payments. By doing it thru a credit card the payments have many protections both creditor account access and debit cards lack. I think what is most irritating, for me, is sometimes you're trying to correct some low amount withdrawal and it takes hours. I figure my time is worth something and on a couple of occasions have just written it off rather than having it drag me down trying to recover a relatively small amount of money. In the mean time I ceased any debiting of my bank account. I also transfer automatic deposits to another account, at another bank, immediately.

On the personal side, I hope you are adjusting to your loss, as best you can. You appear to have things under control.

pr

[tssnave]

Free,

Hang in there and please keep us posted on the outcome.

Thanks,

TS

[free_spirit_etc]

Well my bank account is $225 slimmer now. The VA FINALLY reclaimed the March 1, 2007 payment from my husband's Feb 5, 2007 death that they had put a hold on the bank account on May 20, 2007.

According to the IRIS reponse - I won't get the Month of Death payment now until they decide the DIC claim.

Oddly enough - I am relieved that they finally took the money back. I was getting aggravated seeing it sitting held hostage in my bank account - showing on my balance but unavailable to use. I asked them to either take the money or release the hold. You would think if someone died in February they could make up their mind by August.

So at least they did SOMETHING - even if it was just taking the money back.

Technically, what they SHOULD do in these cases IS to actually reclaim the money from the bank account. And then issue a check to the widow. Because the check is payable to the widow.. and there is no guarantee that the widow is the person with rights to the Vet's bank account. So to make sure the widow actually IS the one who gets the money - it DOES make sense that the VA would take it back from the bank and send it to its rightful owner. That way there is no question as to if the widow got the money - or if someone else also had access to the account, or if the account became part of the Estate, etc.

The argument for leaving the money IN the bank account is most often the widow is the joint owner of the account (though I am not sure how this plays out in community propery states). Also - the more steps invloved - the more chances the VA has to make a mistake.

So maybe - some day - down the road - I might get the $225 back.

In the mean time - I am guarding the statement from the bank proving that the VA took the money - so I can prove I didn't already get it.

Free

[Josephine]

free,

I think that it is discusting that the VA would stoop so low as to take the money back.

It is just my opinion, but it looks to me that the VA deliberately delayed the decision on your husbands claim and how convenient for your husbands exit physical not the be in his C-File.

The VA thinks that the majority of us doesn't have the sense of a Mongoose and can figure these things out.

Always,

Josephine

Edited August 15, 2007 by Josephine