July 2022 by Breanne Vincent
In the process of paying our Homeowners Insurance out of our escrow, Genoa Bank wrote a check for our account and someone elses (a stranger to us) because God forbid they write two checks. The insurance company didn't know it was supposed to go to two separate accounts and sent me a check for $400 (only in my name, not my husband's and not the banks). We were already expected a check for the exact amount, from the same insurance company, because we live in Michigan and they are issuing $400 refund checks to car insurance holders. So I didn't think anything of it and cashed the check. Two months later Genoa bank calls me to say "The insurance company messed up and didn't split it between both peoples accounts and then refused to call you because they said they didn't make the mistake." She said we now needed to pay the money to them. It took us several phone calls to talk to a supervisor and when we did she said "it wasnt our mistake". We told her "your clerk already told us that she wrote a check for two people on one check" she then immediately said she would need to talk to a supervisor and call us back.They still won't admit they made a mistake, and were not even bordering on an apology. The lady on the phone told us that the other homeowners had to cover their own Home Owners Insurance payment (despite having an escrow account) because other wise it would have been late. She tried to guilt me about it, as if she wasnt the one who made the mistake. Im fairly certain she shouldnt be discussing someone elses account with mine.oday I got a voice-mail at 9:13am from Brittany Traver that said "I spoke to my supervisor and she spoke with our VP of Operation who said we're requiring you to pay the $400. We will be sending you a letter in the mail"A couple minutes later we found out that they went ahead and withdrew the money from our account without approval and without formally notifying us.All it would have taken was one extra check and an extra minute. We were obviously going to pay them....but how unprofessional.The hoops they make you jump through if a check has two people's name on it and they're not both in the car at the time of deposit....and then they write one check for two totally separate people's home owner insurance policies.Side note: I haven't a family member who works at another bank and he said there is no way they would ever do that.
