Woman denied credit, told she's dead

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:14 AM EST

Article Source: komonews.com

odd-news, mortgage, credit, dead, refinance, credit-report, denied

A local woman trying to refinance her mortgage got the shock of her life when she learned her credit report had her listed as dead.

To make matters worse, the 78 year old had just survived a battle that nearly killed her.

Published to:

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Groups: Odd News, WTF?
Regions: Seattle/Tacoma

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9.3

{"commentId":10842554,"authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

cuzzenbud

Howe's daughter, Julie Kerr, says everyone knew Howe was alive, but the bank wouldn't budge without a credit report from Experian.

"(They said) 'We don't care, we have to get a credit score and without that credit score, we can't make the loan and we can't get a credit score because you're deceased. Now we know you're not deceased, but they think you are. So we're not going to do this loan,'" Kerr said.

{"commentId":10842554,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

8 votes

#1 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:16 AM EST

{"commentId":10854734,"authorDomain":"kcogg"}

Natalia-996117

Seeing that I was the administer of my parents estates, I would have FIRST demanded the bank show the ONLY proof of death that would have closed all of her accounts - HER DEATH CERTIFICATE issued by the county medical examiners office. No one can close your account without this document. She should have forced the bank to produce a copy of this document. Without this document, the bank administrator would have had to concede the fact that they erred and that they would, at the very least, begin to process her request.

The second thing I would have done, if this happened to me at my bank - I would have demanded that my bank zero out all my debt on my mortgage. Since both my husband and I pay a monthly insurance with an extra inusrance premium attached, which pays off our mortgage in the event of either one of our death. I bet that if the bank had to "eat" any and all of her mortgage debt because of her death, they would have not waited for a stupid credit report.

This goes to the stupidity of people and their reliance on technology. It did not matter that the woman was obviously alive because she was standing right in front of them, but had to wait for a computer to "spit out" a credit report to prove she was still alive. I could see what happened --

I see that you are standing there, but our computer says you're dead.....

I know, you have ID, but can you prove that you are not dead.....

Our computer has you dead, so you need to prove to our computer that you are who you are and that you did not die when the computer says you died......

LOL

{"commentId":10854734,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"kcogg"}

5 votes

#1.1 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:36 PM EST

{"commentId":10855458,"authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

cuzzenbud

This goes to the stupidity of people and their reliance on technology.

A little too much, wouldn't you say?

I guess a little common sense can’t trump technology.

{"commentId":10855458,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

3 votes

#1.2 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:11 PM EST

{"commentId":10855616,"authorDomain":"ungerbn"}

Brandon-801865

How does death affect one's credit score in this crazy age of finance capitalism?

{"commentId":10855616,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"ungerbn"}

2 votes

#1.3 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:20 PM EST

{"commentId":10858683,"authorDomain":"desertjeeper49"}

Desertzonie

How do I get in on this? -- Can I get a better score if I'm "dead" because the score I have now pretty much sucks.

{"commentId":10858683,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"desertjeeper49"}

2 votes

#1.4 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:03 PM EST

{"commentId":10859395,"authorDomain":"VerbalBarb"}

VerbalBarb

Natalia, I understand what you're saying, but it wasn't the bank saying she was dead, and they weren't closing accounts. They just couldn't get the 3rd mandatory credit score to process her refinance application.

This is a perfect example of people using drones in the front offices - they aren't allowed to make one tiny exception. It used to be that a manager could override something as silly as this.

{"commentId":10859395,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"VerbalBarb"}

1 vote

#1.5 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:45 PM EST

{"commentId":10842593,"authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

beaumrtn-619640

Hummm wonder if she could collect her own life insurance now, lol

Then she wouldn't need a loan right

{"commentId":10842593,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

18 votes

#2 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:19 AM EST

{"commentId":10844890,"authorDomain":"melrosefaulkner"}

Lissa Rose

I was thinking along the same line. LOL

{"commentId":10844890,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"melrosefaulkner"}

7 votes

#2.1 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:14 AM EST

{"commentId":10845326,"authorDomain":"politicc"}

Truth be told-1349420

I wonder what it is like to be a "living dead"
So since she's dead, was her life insurance benefits paid to her beneficiary(ies)? The whole thing sounds like a new big sheriff fraud in town.

{"commentId":10845326,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"politicc"}

6 votes

#2.2 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:32 AM EST

{"commentId":10848328,"authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

cuzzenbud

Hummm wonder if she could collect her own life insurance now, lol

That would have made for a better headline: Woman denied credit, told she's dead. But she did receive her debt benefits.

{"commentId":10848328,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

6 votes

#2.3 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:31 PM EST

{"commentId":10849023,"authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

cuzzenbud

But she did receive her debt benefits.

That should have been death, not debt.

{"commentId":10849023,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

4 votes

#2.4 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:55 PM EST

{"commentId":10849123,"authorDomain":"Randilly"}

Randilly

Thats ok cuzzenbud, I sometimes type and post waaay too fast.

{"commentId":10849123,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"Randilly"}

3 votes

#2.5 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:58 PM EST

{"commentId":10843262,"authorDomain":"skif47"}

Bill Fuller

What? Paper more important than people? I wish that surprised me but, sadly, it does not.

{"commentId":10843262,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"skif47"}

9 votes

#3 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:59 AM EST

{"commentId":10844695,"authorDomain":"poorshot"}

Jimmy-915356

I bet the taxman knows she's still alive...

{"commentId":10844695,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"poorshot"}

11 votes

#4 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:06 AM EST

{"commentId":10848372,"authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

cuzzenbud

I think that's a safe assumption.

{"commentId":10848372,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"cuzzenbud"}

5 votes

#4.1 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:33 PM EST

{"commentId":10853122,"authorDomain":"usualsuspect3"}

S.W.Roane

No doubt ,cant fool ol Sam.

{"commentId":10853122,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"usualsuspect3"}

3 votes

#4.2 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:21 PM EST

{"commentId":10854907,"authorDomain":"kcogg"}

Natalia-996117

As I sated above, even when my parents died a few ago (my mother in Jan 2006, my father March 2007) I had to supply the Social Security Department with an ORIGINAL of their death ceritificate before they would take any action on retirement benefits paid. So, I would say that you are correct. Even though it is a bureaucracy, they still would not react until they had the correct paperwork. In triplicate - LOL

{"commentId":10854907,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"kcogg"}

3 votes

#4.3 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:43 PM EST

{"commentId":10844729,"authorDomain":"nick46"}

Nick46

It's not a big deal. Just a matter of clearing up the paperwork. It's not the banks fault nor should they loan money without the proper paperwork.

If she was applying for a drivers license she wouldn't get one either if she was reported dead.

{"commentId":10844729,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"nick46"}

1 vote

#5 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:07 AM EST

{"commentId":10844973,"authorDomain":"melrosefaulkner"}

Lissa Rose

The trouble she was getting to get this mistake fixed was pretty bad. I bet she had plenty of ID plus birth certificate as well as a SS card. It shouldn't take that long for a small error to be fixed.

I don't fault the bank so much except that they are relying on something that was just shown as faulty information. That doesn't seem too intelligent.

I do like her gumption in getting the press involved to get the problem fixed when all other avenues seemed to not getting the results that she needed.

{"commentId":10844973,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"melrosefaulkner"}

6 votes

#5.1 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:17 AM EST

{"commentId":10845160,"authorDomain":"tim-little"}

CodeSculptor

Well, is the bank really going to rely on the credit score provided by a system that can't get the simplest criterion correct - a simple bloody BOOLEAN value (TRUE or FALSE) ...

I mean, adding and subtracting and lists and matrices and scoring algorithms are light years more complicated than a simple BIT LEVEL indicator. If they can't bleedin get something that simple correct, then I'd be dubious as to the accuracy or even coherency of the rest of the system.

{"commentId":10845160,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"tim-little"}

2 votes

#5.2 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:25 AM EST

{"commentId":10845904,"authorDomain":"Randilly"}

Randilly

Ain't it ridiculous, that after going through all the 'appropriate' contortions. The credit agency would'nt even begin to straighten this mess out, until threatened with bad P.R.

{"commentId":10845904,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"Randilly"}

3 votes

#5.3 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:56 AM EST

{"commentId":10846199,"authorDomain":"kalashnicovdude"}

kalashnicovdudeDeleted

{"commentId":10846914,"authorDomain":"Randilly"}

Randilly

Good question Kalasnicovdude. I don' know. I usually don't deal with them. I'm allergic to putting my a** in hock. I consider it Debt Slavery. I don't want to hurt anybodies feelings, those who might be in debt. It took me years to arrange things this way.

{"commentId":10846914,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"Randilly"}

2 votes

#5.5 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:39 PM EST

{"commentId":10850630,"authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

beaumrtn-619640

All the darn Stress on her now that she has to write here an there and talk to this person an that person and listen to this phone recording and push that number before she finally gets to talk to a real person may kill her before she ever gets it fixed.

{"commentId":10850630,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

8 votes

#5.6 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:53 PM EST

{"commentId":10850996,"authorDomain":"Randilly"}

Randilly

beaumrtn-619640

I think thats the idea: "kill her before she ever gets it fixed."

{"commentId":10850996,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"Randilly"}

2 votes

#5.7 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:05 PM EST

{"commentId":10855007,"authorDomain":"kcogg"}

Natalia-996117

I see a much bigger problem, since the credit score company had her listed as deceased. This could have meant that her identity was stolen and that person was the one who actually died. As I stated before, the bank showed itself to be an incompetent bunch -- since they would have required an ORIGINAL OF HER DEATH CERTIFICATE in order to close her accounts and enter into their system that she had indeed passed away.

Does anyone know her bank affiliation, so that I know which bank to never, ever open an account with?

{"commentId":10855007,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"kcogg"}

2 votes

#5.8 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:48 PM EST

{"commentId":10865795,"authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

ruthlessmoose

The credit agency would'nt even begin to straighten this mess out, until threatened with bad P.R.

sometimes it's not what you know... it's who you know. And she decided she was gonna know someone on TV that could bring to light to stupidity of the people working at the credit bureau. that was my first thought as well.

{"commentId":10865795,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

4 votes

#5.9 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:47 AM EST

{"commentId":10845379,"authorDomain":"kalashnicovdude"}

kalashnicovdudeDeleted

{"commentId":10846174,"authorDomain":"nick46"}

Nick46

I mean, adding and subtracting and lists and matrices and scoring algorithms are light years more complicated than a simple BIT LEVEL indicator. If they can't bleedin get something that simple correct, then I'd be dubious as to the accuracy or even coherency of the rest of the system.

They really don't care if the system is correct. They are provided information that they report. The validity of the information is not their concern. If it's not valid then you must prove it wrong then they will correct it. What a great scam they have going. But on the other hand it's like a criminal in prison, they didn't do it. False conviction.

{"commentId":10846174,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"nick46"}

2 votes

#7 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:07 PM EST

{"commentId":10846619,"authorDomain":"Lynn3765"}

Lynn3765

Bank of America...doesn't surprise me. As has been stated, the fact that the press had to get involved to get anything done is ridiculous. I am in a war right now with two of the three bureaus becasue they haven't as yet removed a seriously delinquent account that I have proven, several times over, is not mine. I even had the company in question send several letters indicating the account wasn't mine and the bureaus still haven't removed it; it's been 6 months and it has caused a drop in my credit score and a reduction on limits (cut in half) on two credit cards that I have had for over 10 years with never a late payment and low balances.

{"commentId":10846619,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"Lynn3765"}

5 votes

#8 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:26 PM EST

{"commentId":10848854,"authorDomain":"sgsteitler"}

jbird

I wouldnt be surprised if Citi got that rumor mill ball rolling. They get shady making all sorts of unwarranted inquiries to your report. It nearly ruined her.

{"commentId":10848854,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"sgsteitler"}

4 votes

#9 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:49 PM EST

{"commentId":10854344,"authorDomain":"belle42"}

belle42

Just looking at the headline made me think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGFXGwHsD_A

{"commentId":10854344,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"belle42"}

3 votes

#10 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:17 PM EST

{"commentId":10855174,"authorDomain":"kcogg"}

Natalia-996117

One of my absolutely favorite movies of all times!!!!!!

{"commentId":10855174,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"kcogg"}

2 votes

#10.1 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:56 PM EST

{"commentId":10855293,"authorDomain":"kcogg"}

Natalia-996117

I notice that she was trying to "refinance her mortgage" when the bank she had the mortgage with told her she was listed as deceased. Well, well -- I would have asked the bank how long did they know she was dead? Then I would have explained that they were violating federal laws by accepting her pension checks and then withdrawing the mortgage from the account of a deceased person. I would have askd for an explanation as to why the bank could justify commiting wire fraud (since all of these transactions were done electronically) and then have the audacity to make me prove that I am still alive.

Bottom line, the bank is responsible to check on those mortgagees that do business with their entity, especially if they have received notification of death.

{"commentId":10855293,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"kcogg"}

5 votes

#11 - Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:02 PM EST

{"commentId":10861834,"authorDomain":"lvmom"}

LV Mom

Good one, Natalia! The bank didn't mind taking her money even though she was "dead", right?

{"commentId":10861834,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"lvmom"}

3 votes

#11.1 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:38 AM EST

{"commentId":10866492,"authorDomain":"nick46"}

Nick46

Bottom line, the bank is responsible to check on those mortgagees that do business with their entity, especially if they have received notification of death.

Who said the bank received notification of death? The credit reporting agency can't give an official notification of death. And all the bank said was that they could not verify her credit because the reporting agency had her listed as dead. It is not the banks fault or responsibility to check any further. Obviously alive and paying the loan.

{"commentId":10866492,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"nick46"}

#11.2 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:23 AM EST

{"commentId":10865813,"authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

ruthlessmoose

Maybe she just has some unfinished business and can't acept the fact that she has passed on.

{"commentId":10865813,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

4 votes

#12 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:48 AM EST

{"commentId":10866978,"authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

beaumrtn-619640

Maybe she should write and ask where she is buried, So she can send flowers to her self.

{"commentId":10866978,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

3 votes

#12.1 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:48 AM EST

{"commentId":10879685,"authorDomain":"blackcat8838"}

Nan-813417

"Lady, if it's all the same to you, maybe you could just croak off a little more quickly, the paperwork alone would represent HOURS and HOURS..."

{"commentId":10879685,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"blackcat8838"}

4 votes

#12.2 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:16 PM EST

{"commentId":10879663,"authorDomain":"blackcat8838"}

Nan-813417

Well that certainly seems like a bum deal!

{"commentId":10879663,"threadId":"730901","contentId":"3534050","authorDomain":"blackcat8838"}

2 votes

#13 - Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:15 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"730901","isPrivate":false}

CUZZENBUD

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Woman denied credit, told she's dead

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