If a teller gave too much cash to an individual (who does have an account with us) what recourse, if any, can we take? The amount over paid was $500 and the customer will not reimburse us.



Thanks in advance............

Please give a cite for reference if there even is one......

If I could make the sound of a toilet flushing I would.
If you have hard evidence and a friend in the local police
dept., they could pay a social call... it's worked for me
in the past.

This is a case when it would be nice to have a DVR system with a little camera dome over each teller window that would in most cases show monies counted out to the customer. Training is needed to teach tellers how to lay the money out so that the DVR captures the best images. We do not have this yet, but have it in our plans for this year.

I think we would treat this as a teller balance shortage.

I like the toilet flushing
I think you have to consider this a teller shortage and eat the loss.

If you know who got the over payment, you call them. They likely "didn't even count the money until they got home and , ummm, nope, didn't see anything extra". (Been there, done that, lost the duct tape shirt off my back.) But who knows. Maybe you'll have someone who doesn't think this makes up for their loss sending money to Nigeria and will do the right thing. Call, ask, be prepared to write it off and learn.

If we know who it is we call and tell them that we have audit tape proof etc.. they tend to want to make it right. and as in all other issues BUT, not always

Also- make sure your teller isn't making a habit of this. It probably happens more than we like to think. Teller gives customer too much cash. Customer invokes their 'always right' status and denies receiving extra cash. Custoemr shares cash with teller.

hhhmmm

My bank does have video cameras on every teller (some angles better than others) and it has saved our back sides several times. We call the customer first. Usually they just bring the money back. If they squack we tell them about the video. Only rarely has a customer requested to see the video and only once did we have to get an attorney send a letter. I forget the legal term, but basically he explained the law did not allow a person to get something they were not due. It worked, we recovered that one too plus attorney fees I might add. Cameras are no longer expensive and worth their weight in gold. I've also used them to catch 2 tellers stealing as well as an employee come in on a weekend and steel some stuff from a desk in the lobby.

Call your attorney if the customer refuses to repay.

A couple of terms come to mind -- payment by mistake/error, and unjust enrichment.

We had video of a teller handing a customer two $1000 straps of large bills when they only withdrew $1000. We called the customer who said, "I didn't count it, I put it in my bank bag and gave it to my son, here talk to him" and puts on junior who is so wasted he can't even remember his own name. You can guess he "didn't know nuthin bout no extra $1000". A year later this little angel forged half a dozen checks on dear old dad's checking account and we got stuck again! Some times you just have to laugh to keep from cryin'!