Nuns of Holy Name Monastery say “ridiculous” Patriot Act scrutiny led their bank to freeze the St. Leo, Fla., religious order’s main account.
“If it happened to us, it can happen to anybody,” she told the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune. “I think people need to know that nobody is safe from, in some cases, really ridiculous scrutiny.”
The order said its account was frozen without explanation or notification for a week in November, causing checks to bounce and taking three months to straighten out.
Abbott said she was told the trouble began because an 80-year-old nun, a signatory on the account, did not have her Social Security number or photo identification on file.
“Clearly an international spy,” Abbott wryly told the newspaper.
It never ends. People whose lives are ruled by fear pass laws trying to govern everything from opinion to bill pay.
A tactful “no comment” from an American living in Canada.
You guys really need to get a grip and stop blaming everything on the Patriot Act. Maybe do a little research. As some one who as working in the banking industry as an auditor, what you described has nothing to do with the Patriot Act. That policy has been in place for several decades now. I am certain that what happen was someone, either internal auditors or external auditors was reviewing existing DDA accounts, came across a total lack of REQUIRED information to open a depository account, and froze the account until such time as the information could be obtained. We used to do it all the time. Just because someone claims to be part of a religious organization or dresses like a nun does not make them exempt from the laws that everyone else must live by. In fact, I am pretty sure the bank in question would have gotten a nasty little letter from the Federal Bank examiners if they had let it slide just because they thought the party in question was a nun. Try to use a little sense folks…
John, you may be an experienced auditor; but, you haven’t a clue about the whole crappy layer of red tape overlayed on US banking by the so-called Patriot Act.
My best guess is the Comptroller of the Currency — who’s already admitted to dozens of stupid cases like this one.
There’s a whole new frigging industry built up on banking and “patriotism”. Here’s a publisher that dedicates a section just to money laundering, terrorism and financial institutions. They’ll gladly sell you all the reference materials you need to keep the bloody bureaucrats happy.
http://www.civicresearchinstitute.com/moneylaundering/index.html
This illustrates the problem with Bush’s approach: the secret eavesdropping, the abandonment of habeas corpus, the Patriot Act, or whatever… it ruins the trust we have in our justice system and, eventually, democracy isself.
I used to live in St. Leo, FL. It’s a small small college town (500 students?) You have absolutely no idea how small and back-woods and secluded it is. The monks and the nuns historicly ran the Catholic college there. Very nice people.. sorry to hear they were hassled that way.
R/E eideard…
You really should leave comments regarding specialized industries to those people who know what they are talking about. My comments were based on the article as it was written and the circumstances they described. I am sure you get up in the morning and if your car doesn’t start you blame it on the patriot act. What I am telling you is that the circumstances described are EXACTLY the steps that are required by regulations from the Office of Foreign Asset Control as well as the Banking Secrecy Act.
OFAC controls and requirement go back to the 80’s and problems with the governments of Cuba, North Korea, Libya, etc. The list is constantly growing. The BSA regulations also go back that far and have requirements dealing with money laundering. In both circumstances, the customer is considered guilty until proven innocent by providing legal proof of citizenship, residence, etc. I am aware that the patriot act has created additional regulatory nightmares on the banking industry but what I am telling you is that the circumstances that occured in that article would have occured twenty years ago because someone at the bank did not do their job when the account was opened.
I promise…your life will be much happier if you stop blaming the government for everything that happens that you don’t like…
Harrison, you might consider professional help for your own egregious behavior. While I have a certain capability at looking up info on the web — having been online for 22 years — being part of an extended family whose IT segment ranges from the JCAH to banking, it’s just as easy to turn round or phone kin to ask if this dolt knows anything about the day-to-day running of a bank.
When I get up in the morning and bump into a pompous ass, I focus a few minutes of sunshine on the dark side of his drivel. Like many who audit; but, can’t manage, your presumption of symphonies ringing out the butt of federal overseers is as laughable as foolish crap like “someone at the bank didn’t do their job 20 years ago”. Someone didn’t do their job in November either. Confronting hypocrisy or ignorance is always disgusting — whether it’s a government, bank, church or churl.
Wachovia had a number of days to investigate, analyze and respond to that incompetence. They took three months. They may be up to your standards; but, I certainly wouldn’t consider that satisfactory. I wouldn’t do business with a bank like that — and don’t. They have lots of dollars, dude. Maybe that’s all that impresses you — perhaps they’re one of your accounts. I think they’re up to the level of competence of an economic peer — say, like General Motors.
I don’t know why eideard even wasted time on an accountant-troll, this morning. After all, the post has scrolled off the page and only folks enjoying the chuckle are still visiting.
Having been lurking around Dvorak Uncensored practically since day 1, I must comment that the common thread to all the “staff” is pretty obviously looking askance at hypocrisy and inbred idolatry with the occasional dash of endemic ignorance thrown in to spice up the mixture. Previous mentions by eideard of stodgy bankers in the family probably validate his sources. My own wandering through Google finds other references and interviews with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; so, I must also question Mr. Harrison’s compulsion to lay this event off on bank underlings.
After all, good management has the responsibility to assure good service — whether it’s internal or external forces screwing up that service.
And ascribing political agendas to folks who provoke wrath is so — Bushlike. Chuckle.