BB&T - Branch Banking And Trust Company - B B & T - Branch Banking & Trust Company - BB&T Stole My Dead Husband's Money From His Account...Refused to Give Me HIS money for FOUR YEARS!!! Moneta Virginia

Well, you wanted to know how this is going to be a money management issue; well, there you go.  If this had been a joint account or if your name had been on the account as well as his, the money in the account would have been yours from the very beginning without any of the documentation.  You could have closed the account at any point and not lost a dime.  Money management is more than just a check register; it's planning for the future in case of something like this happening to your husband.

Oh, and this would also have happened at every institution out there because the policies are not unique to this bank - the policy is part of common law.

Well..here we go again.  ANOTHER B B & T employee trolling the Rip-Off Report handing out condescending "use a check register....manage your money better...etc.etc." blaming EVERY consumer for B B & T's immoral and unethical thievery!!

Jim, did you even READ my post?  You seem to insinuate that I don't know how to "manage my money".  For your information, I have 6 months left to finish a double degree in FINANCE/ECONOMICS and ACCOUNTING (oh...and I also have a 4.0 grade point average). So, believe me, I DO understand that money management is "more than using a check register" you frickin idiot!!  Before that, I was a paralegal in Wilmington, Delaware for 15 YEARS!! And, I would like to know exactly WHAT "common law" you are referring to.  The last time I checked, it was against the law for ANY company/person to appropriate money that does not belong to them. By your reasoning, anyone who has a single checking account automatically GIVES?? the money to the bank when they die because its not a JOINT account? Are you insane? What's the purpose of having a Will and Testament drawn up then? You seem to imply that based solely on the fact that it was a single account, the bank can just keep the money then?  Oh, and by the way, I TRIED EVERY TIME i went into the bank to CLOSE the account!! How can you sit there and honestly think that its not immoral/illegal to charge inactive account fees repeatedly when the bank was in possession (from 6/2/05) of an ORIGINAL DEATH CERTIFICATE for the accountholder?

So, let's talk money management skills and preparation for my 39 year old husband having a heart attack!!

 1.  We did "prepare" for our eventual deaths BY PREPARING A WILL, DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY, and ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE for each of us.

 2.  We HAD a JOINT ACCOUNT that we used to pay monthly bills.  We also each had an individual account that we used for our "personal spending money" which was included in our BUDGET.  Yes, Jim, I USE A BUDGET and a check register.

 I look forward to your response.  Maybe you can educate me about this Nationwide policy that allows ALL BANKS (according to you) to ignore a Will and refuse to distribute money to rightful heirs based solely on the fact that it was a single account and not a joint account.  And please...please...educate us morons on this hypothetical situation:  What should a single woman with children (and a single accountholder) do to prepare for her death and who should get her money since she doesn't have a husband to have a joint account.  What then?

Oh, and just one other little point Jim.  I was listed as the "BENEFICIARY" on his single account. Thank you very much!  

First of all, let me you have my deepest sympathy for your loss. Next let me say I share your outrage at how unbelievable this is to hear. The lack of any other responses from anyone else is all the indication you need that this ripoff has nothing to do with money management skills or lack thereof.

You certainly seem to be keen and sharp, not just because of the credentials you list, but also because of your preparedness, especially given the age of your husband. Not many others can say they have that kind of foresight or preparation. 

Given the rock solid paperwork, the sequence of events that transpired and the amount of time that has past, you just might end up owning this branch when the lawsuit is finished with them.