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My mother developed Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago. Her husband (my step-father) had to place her in an Alzheimer’s center for her safety. When he passed away I was added to her Wamu account as conservator. When she passed away, our attorney sent court papers naming me as executor. My wife and I went into Wamu and tried to change the account to executor. We thought it would be simple because we had the court papers and changing from conservator to executor, must be a very common event.

My wife and I went into Wamu and gave them the papers from the court. After two hours — including waiting while the local Wamu staff called some national Wamu help line — they told us we needed an updated letter from the attorney, although the documents weren’t that old — few weeks. The assistant manager smiled nicely and told us that as soon as we got that letter — she could take care of everything in about 15 to 20 minutes. We received the exact type of letter from the attorney that she wanted. I went back in — for the “20 minute session.”

The person helping me simply had no clue about what I was trying to do. Just as the staff member and assistant manager had done in the previous visit - she had to call into Wamu’s help line for instructions. After being patient for a while, I told her that the assistant manager was the one who helped me before and knew all about it. If she could just get the asst. manager or talk to her things would be cleared up.

She got up and went to the assistant manager and they both disappeared. In a few minutes the staff member returned with a file, but she still didn’t have a clue — and the assistant manager seemed to avoid the whole situation. I now believe that she was so avoidant because she messed up and she knew it.

The staff member called the helpline again. Although I could not hear them it was fairly clear it wasn’t good news. After 3-hours she turned to me and said that Wamu could not do what the assistant manager said would take 20 minutes max. They had no clue how to switch a conservator account to an executor account, even though this has to be a very common occurrence in banking. The only people with any authority were the mysterious helpline people. At some point the assistant manager disappeared in the back for good.

We told our attorney who was dumbfounded and told us to keep the conservator account because we had to pay various bills in keeping up my mother’s house. We’d have to go to court to make any significant changes such as getting away from Wamu to an institution with some credibility.

It wasn’t quite over yet. We were surprised when the Federal Govt. sent my mother an incentive refund ($300). The check had my mother’s name on it and it said deceased by her name. My wife and I figured it must be a mistake, but she called the IRS who told her that the check was legitimate because we filed 2007 income tax for my mother.

The $300 is part of my mother’s estate so we tried to put it in conservator account with Wamu. Another 2 hours — another series of calls to the helpline — who finally decided that they would not let us deposit the check.

My wife was livid but kept her cool (within limits). She told them that there has to be thousands of people in this country who filed 2007 tax, but passed away who also received checks. Surely a financial institution would have people who have researched this and know about it right? Not the mysterious helpline folks — the local staff said that Wamu would kick the check out if it was deposited.

Surely Wamu has had people have had to change conservator accounts into executor accounts. But they treated this like it was some rare anomaly that no one had ever heard of. They suggested that I open an account in my name without my mother’s name and deposit the check (a Federal government check made out to my mother) and deposit it in my own personal account. Run that by me again? You want me to take money that is supposed to go into an estate and put it in my personal account? That’s the advice of a financial institution? Are they trying to get me in trouble?

Each time we’ve gone in — it reminds me of Abbot and Costello’s Who’s on First. I wonder if they have to call their help line to get permission to take lunch. As a 55-year old — I have been to many many banks, savings and loans and credit unions — we’ve bought and sold 5 houses - but my wife and I agree - we’ve never seen anything like this.

Currently the situation was left with the local Wamu staff telling wife that they had to talk to the “policy holders” and get back to her — which they didn’t do. WHAT? Talk to the policy holders - over a $300 check in an account that has $30,000 sitting in it?

Final thought — do not bank at WAMU — they make the federal government look efficient.

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