What is the name of your state?
California
Not sure where this post should be, but I'll start here:
Here are the turn of events that happened on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at a branch of a very large bank in Los Angeles:
• Entered around 1:20pm
• Attempted to cash an Official Check written from the same bank, but from a branch in a different state (CT)
• Teller could not process the check, so she called over the teller coordinator
• I was told to sit down at the table where you fill out your deposit slips, which was in the middle of the bank
• Waited roughly 30 minutes
• Finally, the teller coordinator came back over with a Beverly Hills cop at her side
• She asked me where I got the check
• I told her that my father had sent it to me
• She asked where he got it
• I told her that he got it directly from his bank; that it was a bank check from his bank
• She said that it was a fraudulent check
• I said that it was positively a valid check
• She said that the routing numbers did not match any of their branches
• I said that I would call my father to clear this up and started to reach for my cell phone in my pocket
• The policeman said, “No, no, don’t do that,” and took my hand. Then the other policeman took my other hand and twisted it so I could not move it, and then they stood me up and cuffed me!
• I was mortified and extremely embarrassed
• I asked her why they were cuffing me, that it was a legitimate check, and they needed to do more checking
• I gave them all of my parents’ numbers to call and verify
• She went away
• The cops then started asking me questions
• “Why did your father send you money?” they asked.
• “Because he’s my father,” I said.
• I pointed to the envelope on the table that it had come in
• They read the letter
• They asked why there was no postage on the envelope
• I said it was because it came in a Priority Mail envelope which was in the car
• They asked permission to search the car
• I said, “Sure. Go ahead.”
• One policeman went down to search the car
• The teller coordinator finally came back over about 10-15 minutes later
• She said that she checked, and it still was not good
• She said that she had called Atlanta and Texas, and they said that the routing numbers were not valid
• I asked her why she was calling Atlanta and Texas
• I asked her if she had called CT
• She said no
• I told her that she needs to call CT, as that is where the branch of the bank from which the check was written is. I told her the town in CT where the branch is located.
• She asked if it were a certain bank, which was a different bank that had just been recently acquired by her bank
• I said, “Yes, my Dad has an account with that bank.”
• She then went away again. More questions from the policemen.
• She finally came back 10 minutes later saying that she was really sorry, and they had made a mistake, and that it was a check from that bank.
• As the policemen were uncuffing me, I told her that this was the most humiliating experience of my life, and that I would never do business with her bank…ever.
• I also mentioned that it was on account of the miscommunication between their banks that this happened, and that they need to keep track of which banks they buy so they don’t put their clients and/or future clients in handcuffs.
• There was no need whatsoever for them to cuff me right in the middle of the bank with the whole bank to see without having all of the facts.
• It embarrassed me immensely, terrified me, and possibly hurt my reputation.
• In retrospect, they should have taken me into a room in private and performed questioning in private, without the handcuffs, and performed the investigation like civilized people, and not treat me like hardcore criminal.
So, here are my questions:
1. How should I proceed? What is the quickest way to resolve this?
2. I would like to make sure that the bank does not destroy the security tape, so I need to contact the bank ASAP and demand that they not destroy it. Can I do that myself, or do I have to have a lawyer do it?
3. I would like to find a lawyer who will take on this case pro bono. Does anyone know of one in the LA area?
4. I'm not sure if I want to sue the cops as well (if that's even an option), as I may live in that town eventually. Thoughts?
5. I am in the process of writing a letter to many of the top guys at this bank (CEO, etc.). Should I do this before or after I am able to secure a copy of the surveillance tape from the day in question?
6. Any other advice that I might find useful, please do tell.
Thanks!
California
Not sure where this post should be, but I'll start here:
Here are the turn of events that happened on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at a branch of a very large bank in Los Angeles:
• Entered around 1:20pm
• Attempted to cash an Official Check written from the same bank, but from a branch in a different state (CT)
• Teller could not process the check, so she called over the teller coordinator
• I was told to sit down at the table where you fill out your deposit slips, which was in the middle of the bank
• Waited roughly 30 minutes
• Finally, the teller coordinator came back over with a Beverly Hills cop at her side
• She asked me where I got the check
• I told her that my father had sent it to me
• She asked where he got it
• I told her that he got it directly from his bank; that it was a bank check from his bank
• She said that it was a fraudulent check
• I said that it was positively a valid check
• She said that the routing numbers did not match any of their branches
• I said that I would call my father to clear this up and started to reach for my cell phone in my pocket
• The policeman said, “No, no, don’t do that,” and took my hand. Then the other policeman took my other hand and twisted it so I could not move it, and then they stood me up and cuffed me!
• I was mortified and extremely embarrassed
• I asked her why they were cuffing me, that it was a legitimate check, and they needed to do more checking
• I gave them all of my parents’ numbers to call and verify
• She went away
• The cops then started asking me questions
• “Why did your father send you money?” they asked.
• “Because he’s my father,” I said.
• I pointed to the envelope on the table that it had come in
• They read the letter
• They asked why there was no postage on the envelope
• I said it was because it came in a Priority Mail envelope which was in the car
• They asked permission to search the car
• I said, “Sure. Go ahead.”
• One policeman went down to search the car
• The teller coordinator finally came back over about 10-15 minutes later
• She said that she checked, and it still was not good
• She said that she had called Atlanta and Texas, and they said that the routing numbers were not valid
• I asked her why she was calling Atlanta and Texas
• I asked her if she had called CT
• She said no
• I told her that she needs to call CT, as that is where the branch of the bank from which the check was written is. I told her the town in CT where the branch is located.
• She asked if it were a certain bank, which was a different bank that had just been recently acquired by her bank
• I said, “Yes, my Dad has an account with that bank.”
• She then went away again. More questions from the policemen.
• She finally came back 10 minutes later saying that she was really sorry, and they had made a mistake, and that it was a check from that bank.
• As the policemen were uncuffing me, I told her that this was the most humiliating experience of my life, and that I would never do business with her bank…ever.
• I also mentioned that it was on account of the miscommunication between their banks that this happened, and that they need to keep track of which banks they buy so they don’t put their clients and/or future clients in handcuffs.
• There was no need whatsoever for them to cuff me right in the middle of the bank with the whole bank to see without having all of the facts.
• It embarrassed me immensely, terrified me, and possibly hurt my reputation.
• In retrospect, they should have taken me into a room in private and performed questioning in private, without the handcuffs, and performed the investigation like civilized people, and not treat me like hardcore criminal.
So, here are my questions:
1. How should I proceed? What is the quickest way to resolve this?
2. I would like to make sure that the bank does not destroy the security tape, so I need to contact the bank ASAP and demand that they not destroy it. Can I do that myself, or do I have to have a lawyer do it?
3. I would like to find a lawyer who will take on this case pro bono. Does anyone know of one in the LA area?
4. I'm not sure if I want to sue the cops as well (if that's even an option), as I may live in that town eventually. Thoughts?
5. I am in the process of writing a letter to many of the top guys at this bank (CEO, etc.). Should I do this before or after I am able to secure a copy of the surveillance tape from the day in question?
6. Any other advice that I might find useful, please do tell.
Thanks!
