WARNING - RANT FOLLOWS:
My father has early stage dementia (and probably undiagnosed ASD). As a result of his failing memory, he can no longer manage his financial affairs. Fortunately we registered an LPoA earlier this year and I have registered it with his banks.
My car has done 331000 miles from new and is knackered, so Dad said he would be happy for me to replace it with something easier for me to manage I have limited strength owing to a road accident in 1974 - that he caused. I need to be able to get to him and I also need a vehicle that I can get into and load more easily than my current car.
Dad said I could spend between £15,000 and £20,000 on a replacement car and I've just ordered a good ex-demonstrator Ford C Max for £17,645. I asked them whether they would like payment by banker's draft or by card. They said they preferred debit card. So, using the LPoA, I transferred £20,000 to my father's current account from his building society savings account. Then I went to the bank branch in my home town (Carmarthen - my father lives in London) to tell them that I would be making a large transaction. They said I should just go ahead with the debit card.
Then the card transaction was declined. A call to the Bank Fraud office resulted in my being told that since my father has not opted for telephone banking, they could do nothing more over the phone. I then went to the Carmarthen branch and explained the situation, asking them to provide a draft for £17645 from my father's current account.
Bottom line: Their AI-based fraud checks flagged the transaction as potentially fraudulent and the bank would not issue the draft. Apparently the fact that I live 270 miles from my father produces a heavy weighting in their fraud detection algorithm. The Bank manager then asked me a few questions as a result of which I told her that I am operating my father account under LPoA because he has lost the capacity to manage his financial affairs. The manager then spoke again to the fraud office and told me that my father's account has been frozen and that neither he nor I can access it and I needed to go to a solicitor to get deputyship.
The bank is hopelessly wrong here. My father has not lost all capacity and the LPoA gives me authority to conduct the proposed transaction entirely legally. Nevertheless, the account is frozen and I'll now have to get my father's solicitor to kick the bank up the nether orifice.
This is down, IMO, to rank incompetence on the part of bank staff. Their AI based fraud checks have thrown up a false positive (admittedly better than a false negative) and their fraud staff do not understand that I am using the LPoA because my father has specifically lost the capacity to manage his finances. He has not lost all capacity and specifically has not lost the capacity to express his wishes.
It's hard enough coping with a parent with dementia at this distance (5.5 hours drive away - minimum).
END OF RANT ... for now ...
My father has early stage dementia (and probably undiagnosed ASD). As a result of his failing memory, he can no longer manage his financial affairs. Fortunately we registered an LPoA earlier this year and I have registered it with his banks.
My car has done 331000 miles from new and is knackered, so Dad said he would be happy for me to replace it with something easier for me to manage I have limited strength owing to a road accident in 1974 - that he caused. I need to be able to get to him and I also need a vehicle that I can get into and load more easily than my current car.
Dad said I could spend between £15,000 and £20,000 on a replacement car and I've just ordered a good ex-demonstrator Ford C Max for £17,645. I asked them whether they would like payment by banker's draft or by card. They said they preferred debit card. So, using the LPoA, I transferred £20,000 to my father's current account from his building society savings account. Then I went to the bank branch in my home town (Carmarthen - my father lives in London) to tell them that I would be making a large transaction. They said I should just go ahead with the debit card.
Then the card transaction was declined. A call to the Bank Fraud office resulted in my being told that since my father has not opted for telephone banking, they could do nothing more over the phone. I then went to the Carmarthen branch and explained the situation, asking them to provide a draft for £17645 from my father's current account.
Bottom line: Their AI-based fraud checks flagged the transaction as potentially fraudulent and the bank would not issue the draft. Apparently the fact that I live 270 miles from my father produces a heavy weighting in their fraud detection algorithm. The Bank manager then asked me a few questions as a result of which I told her that I am operating my father account under LPoA because he has lost the capacity to manage his financial affairs. The manager then spoke again to the fraud office and told me that my father's account has been frozen and that neither he nor I can access it and I needed to go to a solicitor to get deputyship.
The bank is hopelessly wrong here. My father has not lost all capacity and the LPoA gives me authority to conduct the proposed transaction entirely legally. Nevertheless, the account is frozen and I'll now have to get my father's solicitor to kick the bank up the nether orifice.
This is down, IMO, to rank incompetence on the part of bank staff. Their AI based fraud checks have thrown up a false positive (admittedly better than a false negative) and their fraud staff do not understand that I am using the LPoA because my father has specifically lost the capacity to manage his finances. He has not lost all capacity and specifically has not lost the capacity to express his wishes.
It's hard enough coping with a parent with dementia at this distance (5.5 hours drive away - minimum).
END OF RANT ... for now ...
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