Community Bank & Trust

In February, I was home to see my 86-​year-​old mother, legally blind and living alone in her duplex in Columbus. I found her in a very sad state, disoriented, not recognizing me, confused. I got her to her physician and she was admitted to St. Francis, in atrial fibrillation and having suffered a right temporal lobe stroke. It was a time of extreme chaos and sadness. I had to close her apartment, dispose of her belongings and my brother and I moved her to an extended care facility near his home in the Atlanta area.
She had several CDs, jointly in the names of me, my brother, and our children. We needed to cash these in to pay for her care before applying for Medicaid. I went to Community to do this and found the staff extremely unsympathetic and unhelpful. This whole experience was so pleasantly dealt with at Colonial Bank the day prior so I was rather surprised by my treatment at Community. I asked for a bank officer, wanting to sit down privately (I have a mobitlity disability) — instead I was made to stand at the teller window for about 20 minutes. I had one of the CDs with me, my mother’s birth certificate, my driver’s license and asked to cash in that CD. I was asked why I was doing that. As far as I know, it is no business of the banks why I was cashing it in but I told them. I also asked if there were other CDs with our names jointly. They were evasive but finally said there were but would give me no further information.
It is difficult, at best, dealing with this kind of traumatic event. Sadly, my mother had signed only a advanced health care directive but not a financial power of attorney. The CDs, however, were «either», «or» so could be cashed by me or my mother.
I’m glad I don’t have to bank with Community on a regular basis. I certainly wouldn’t! I’ve never been treated like this by any bank in my sixty five years.