I have a problem with Wells Fargo Bank. I am a resident of the state of Minnesota. My mother appointed me as her Power of Attorney under a Statutory Short form Power of Attorney XX/XX/XXXX.I had used the Power of Attorney several time at the local Wells Fargo bank until XX/XX/XXXX when my Mother died. XX/XX/XXXX, I added a Payable on Death designation to my Mother 's checking account at Wells Fargo bank in XXXX, XXXX. I met with a banker and filled out the payable on death designation adding myself and my sister to the account and signing as Power of Attorney. It was reviewed by the banker and I was told it was " good to go ''. From that date on, the monthly statement that were sent to my Mother/ and now to her estate, listed the P.O.D. designation on the statement. 
After my Mother 's death, when my sister and I attempted to access the funds as they were payable on death to us, the representative at Wells Fargo told us that the P.O.D. was not valid because my Mother did not initial the P.O.D. designation. In trying to argue this with the local bank we were told that the local bank could not do anything and there was no one at the local bank who we could talk to about this. We were told that this was the advice of their legal department. When we asked to talk to the legal department, we were told that we could not talk to any XXXX directly and that Wells Fargo could not disclose the name of the attorney nor the telephone number of the office where they worked. Instead we were told our only remedy was to fax a letter to XXXX XXXX to a " mythical legal department '' and that someone, some day will get back to us. When we asked how long it would take before we heard from someone they could not give us any time frame. 
In the end we have concluded that it will be faster to probate my Mother 's estate to access this money so that we can pay for her funeral and other expenses resulting from her death. 
