Spouse is now in a special facility for ALZ care. After breaking a hip, needing ambulance service etc. I have paid them using our joint bank account. I have had two checks returned asking for my financial POA. Why?
This stuff makes me crazy, too! Have you asked the facility why they want a PoA? Maybe tell the moron that your attorney says you don't need one for this, and ask for a supervisor and/or a written explanation, so you have proof that you've been trying to pay them when they start sending past-due notices. Is the care they provide your husband as efficient as their financial management? Yikes!
My husband is deaf. When he gets a call and they won't talk to me, I tell them he will not hear them even ask the question if it's OK for them it's OK to talk to me. They have to wait for me to explain to him what the call Is about and to just say it's OK to talk to me.
Speaking of phone calls. I had a woman from social security call to talk. She could not talk to me. Insisted on talking with Mom
I explained to her...Mom has profound disphasia along with some dementia. It was likely she could not communicate at all...but, if she could...it is important to skip the small talk and just ask her straight out.
Ok....so, I put Mom on the phone. Idiot woman from SS says to her first thing..."how are you this morning?" (Ah geez, I am thinking). So Mom tells her "a bah dah do dee bo gaba gaba". It was all I could do to keep from busting out loud laughing. Then she asked Mom her birthday. To this Mom responded "16 47 64"
That is where their conversation ended.
Geez, some people just do not listen. I told her this was what she could expect.
I also got a kick out of when they'd ask to speak to my mother.
In the time it took from me telling my mom who I was calling and why to the point they asked to speak to her - my mom would forget the whole situation. This lead to a good five minutes of "Who's on First" with my mom yelling every other sentence "What? I can't hear you. What are you talking about? You're mumbling!" I did have to learn to stand right next to mom and be quick because she often said to them next "I don't know why you called me but if you can't annunciate I'm not speaking to you!" and would hang up. Then I had to start all over again - from the very start - "Mom, we're gonna call Comcast ..."
One that I liked was the folks on the phone who would ask me to put my husband on the phone. They would ask, "Is it OK for Jeanne to speak to us about your account?" and he would, of course, say Yes.
I asked the guy once, how do you know that wasn't my brother, or the UPS delivery guy, or my neighbor who stopped in for coffee? He laughed. "I have no idea who that was, ma'am. I just know I can check the right box on this form now." Some of this so-called HIIPA stuff is strictly CYA on their part.
As mentioned here, maybe they don't realize you are both married and joint ownership of the account. One thing that immediately came across to me is they're probably wanting to make sure your husband is not being taken advantage of as what's common these days. This is probably just a safety precaution to protect the elder against any possibility of fraud.
I remember when my bank had a policy change. That used to be able to go on a known customer basis for withdraws until the main branch changed it's policy requiring proof of ID. I personally wouldn't worry too much about this, just show them whatever they need to see. As long as you have nothing to hide, just don't worry about it and just show them proof of POA and they'll be satisfied as long as it meets what they are looking for in the document. They probably just need to look it over to make sure it's a legit document because they're trained to know what to spot. As long as everything is fine, it was done correctly and it's a legit document, I wouldn't worry about it, just show it to them and it'll be fine.
What you can also consider instead of withdrawing cash is to set up online bill pay but from your end only. Let's say for instance you happen to be a renter. In my particular case I was able to make up my own account number. Just type in your creditors information for each payee and the amounts for each one you add. Once you set your bills to come out from your end along with the dates to have them come out, you're good to go and don't have to worry about withdrawing cash. I went digital long ago and I know a little bit about banking so I can guide you right through the process and around any obstacles like you're describing. All you need to do is sign up for online banking through your local bank, just speak with a personal banker. Paying your bills online is actually more convenient because you don't have to worry about getting out there in traffic on payday. You can actually sleep through the morning or go do whatever it is you need to do while the bank sends out your bills for you. If you have frontier as your home phone provider, your type in all of the numbers where your phone number is but type in all of them including the last few. It's much cheaper to have it show as electronic transfer rather than a check which would be an envelope symbol, I found this out because I was being charged double or more on my phone bill and couldn't figure out why despite paying my bill in full on time monthly. Well, this is what I found out that those last few digits on my frontier phone bill actually turns it into electronic funds transfer from my end, meaning my bill is cheaper when there's a lightning bolt symbol by my scheduled frontier bill on my scheduled payments on my bill pay page.
You don't necessarily have to withdraw cash to pay those bills, and you don't necessarily even have to write a check or buy money orders when you can do everything online. I occasionally mention haven't gone digital years ago and how well online bill pay really works. I also never use an ATM much anymore and I never carry cash or even a checkbook. All you really need for store transactions is your ATM card also called a debit card and you run it as credit. More and more places are allowing people with the newer chip cards to now bypass having to type in their PIN numbers, around here I discovered all you have to do is just hit enter when the screen for the number appears, just hit enter and it will go through if there's enough money on your card to cover your transaction. If you set up your checking in such a way you can't overdraft your account, you won't be able to overdraft it at the checkout, the card would be declined so all you would have to do is just put something back like say if you're at the grocery store or someplace like Walmart. If the card gets declined, just keep putting stuff back until the card goes through and it will. I know Walmart has these ATMs sometimes but there are fees to use those ATMs. I never really use ATMs much anymore, I can just go online and just put more money from my savings onto my card.
Again, you don't necessarily have to withdraw cash, write checks or buy money orders to pay those bills
Good Lord! Makes you want to scream at these people "What the he!! is your problem? I'm trying to GIVE you money!" Morons.
I'm guessing they want proof that it was okay with your husband that you pay his bills. Which is just nutz as doesn't it usually work that way in marriage? After all - wouldn't it be you who would be held responsible for an unpaid bill? And like the other reply says - why does it really matter as long as the freakin' bill gets paid?
Just be prepared for the next idiot move on their behalf - when their accounting department sends you a letter threatening to start Collections for the unpaid bill. Morons!
I have no idea why they would do this. Who cares who is paying the bills as long as they are paid. The only time I have had to prove POA to the bank, was when I wanted to move money from CDs (that I was not joint owner of) to Moms checking acct. Even though I am jointly on her acct I do sign with POA but don't think I have to. I agree, your working with an idiot. Now, if u weren't joint owner and u signed as POA, then they could question the signature. This may be the problem. Someone isn't thinking out of the box.
Speaking of the expanding ignorant population, my sis (I am DPOA) needed a special Ultra Sound test at local OP x-ray office. She is 78 and does not drive(found her nearly homeless in 2016.) Office wouldn't schedule appt. without photo ID, which she doesn't have. I have her ins. card, SS card, letters addressed to her from ins. company, monthly statements from her Assisted Living facility, etc. Their insistence with "no photo...no U.S." and the urgent need for test prompted me to say "I will pay for it." Sorry, we can't take it without her photo ID....and only our billing dept. accepts payments." Laughter remains the best medicine so had to toss this into the mix. And yes she got the test and ins. was billed. I am an NP.
Thanks for the laugh, yes the checks have been sent back twice, same issue. This time I may have to send a form for them to sign saying they refuse payment!
Is the care they provide your husband as efficient as their financial management? Yikes!
I explained to her...Mom has profound disphasia along with some dementia. It was likely she could not communicate at all...but, if she could...it is important to skip the small talk and just ask her straight out.
Ok....so, I put Mom on the phone. Idiot woman from SS says to her first thing..."how are you this morning?" (Ah geez, I am thinking). So Mom tells her "a bah dah do dee bo gaba gaba". It was all I could do to keep from busting out loud laughing.
Then she asked Mom her birthday. To this Mom responded "16 47 64"
That is where their conversation ended.
Geez, some people just do not listen. I told her this was what she could expect.
But, it was the best laugh I had that week
In the time it took from me telling my mom who I was calling and why to the point they asked to speak to her - my mom would forget the whole situation. This lead to a good five minutes of "Who's on First" with my mom yelling every other sentence "What? I can't hear you. What are you talking about? You're mumbling!" I did have to learn to stand right next to mom and be quick because she often said to them next "I don't know why you called me but if you can't annunciate I'm not speaking to you!" and would hang up. Then I had to start all over again - from the very start - "Mom, we're gonna call Comcast ..."
I asked the guy once, how do you know that wasn't my brother, or the UPS delivery guy, or my neighbor who stopped in for coffee? He laughed. "I have no idea who that was, ma'am. I just know I can check the right box on this form now." Some of this so-called HIIPA stuff is strictly CYA on their part.
I remember when my bank had a policy change. That used to be able to go on a known customer basis for withdraws until the main branch changed it's policy requiring proof of ID. I personally wouldn't worry too much about this, just show them whatever they need to see. As long as you have nothing to hide, just don't worry about it and just show them proof of POA and they'll be satisfied as long as it meets what they are looking for in the document. They probably just need to look it over to make sure it's a legit document because they're trained to know what to spot. As long as everything is fine, it was done correctly and it's a legit document, I wouldn't worry about it, just show it to them and it'll be fine.
What you can also consider instead of withdrawing cash is to set up online bill pay but from your end only. Let's say for instance you happen to be a renter. In my particular case I was able to make up my own account number. Just type in your creditors information for each payee and the amounts for each one you add. Once you set your bills to come out from your end along with the dates to have them come out, you're good to go and don't have to worry about withdrawing cash. I went digital long ago and I know a little bit about banking so I can guide you right through the process and around any obstacles like you're describing. All you need to do is sign up for online banking through your local bank, just speak with a personal banker. Paying your bills online is actually more convenient because you don't have to worry about getting out there in traffic on payday. You can actually sleep through the morning or go do whatever it is you need to do while the bank sends out your bills for you. If you have frontier as your home phone provider, your type in all of the numbers where your phone number is but type in all of them including the last few. It's much cheaper to have it show as electronic transfer rather than a check which would be an envelope symbol, I found this out because I was being charged double or more on my phone bill and couldn't figure out why despite paying my bill in full on time monthly. Well, this is what I found out that those last few digits on my frontier phone bill actually turns it into electronic funds transfer from my end, meaning my bill is cheaper when there's a lightning bolt symbol by my scheduled frontier bill on my scheduled payments on my bill pay page.
You don't necessarily have to withdraw cash to pay those bills, and you don't necessarily even have to write a check or buy money orders when you can do everything online. I occasionally mention haven't gone digital years ago and how well online bill pay really works. I also never use an ATM much anymore and I never carry cash or even a checkbook. All you really need for store transactions is your ATM card also called a debit card and you run it as credit. More and more places are allowing people with the newer chip cards to now bypass having to type in their PIN numbers, around here I discovered all you have to do is just hit enter when the screen for the number appears, just hit enter and it will go through if there's enough money on your card to cover your transaction. If you set up your checking in such a way you can't overdraft your account, you won't be able to overdraft it at the checkout, the card would be declined so all you would have to do is just put something back like say if you're at the grocery store or someplace like Walmart. If the card gets declined, just keep putting stuff back until the card goes through and it will. I know Walmart has these ATMs sometimes but there are fees to use those ATMs. I never really use ATMs much anymore, I can just go online and just put more money from my savings onto my card.
Again, you don't necessarily have to withdraw cash, write checks or buy money orders to pay those bills
Morons.
I'm guessing they want proof that it was okay with your husband that you pay his bills. Which is just nutz as doesn't it usually work that way in marriage? After all - wouldn't it be you who would be held responsible for an unpaid bill? And like the other reply says - why does it really matter as long as the freakin' bill gets paid?
Just be prepared for the next idiot move on their behalf - when their accounting department sends you a letter threatening to start Collections for the unpaid bill.
Morons!
Laughter remains the best medicine so had to toss this into the mix. And yes she got the test and ins. was billed. I am an NP.
Send the checks back...send a note. Such as "duh..my name and my HUSBANDS name are on this JOINT account...why do you think this is irregular?"
There are a lot of ignorant people around. Seems like more every day