Woman Denied Credit, Told Her She Was 'Dead'

rockin'robin · 11-21-2009, 11:01 AM

SEATTLE -- A local woman trying to refinance her mortgage got the shock of her life when she learned her credit report had her listed as dead.

To make matters worse, the 78 year old had just survived a battle that nearly killed her.

All Ann Howe wanted was lower mortgage payments. The last thing she expected was more stress. Months earlier, she'd discovered her husband of 55 years had died in his sleep.

Then, she says, a lump in her forehead was misdiagnosed. It turned out to be cancer.

Days after cancer surgery, doctors discovered Howe needed open heart surgery. She almost died.

When she finally regained her strength, she applied for a mortgage refinance loan to reduce her payments and help her budget.

Things were going fine. Two of the credit reporting agencies showed her credit rating was close to 800. But her Experian report had a problem.

"Because somebody made a real ignorant mistake when they told Experian that I was dead," Howe said. "I mean, that was a terrible blow."

Howe's Experian credit report had her listed as deceased. One of her creditors had reported her as dead.

Correcting the mistake was an interstate nightmare that took the full-time attention of Howe's daughter in California. She sent letters, faxes, notarized explanations, long distance phone calls, but for months, she kept running into the same brick wall.

Howe's daughter, Julie Kerr, says everyone knew Howe was alive, but the bank wouldn't budge without a credit report from Experian.

"(They said) 'We don't care, we have to get a credit score and without that credit score, we can't make the loan and we can't get a credit score because you're deceased. Now we know you're not deceased, but they think you are. So we're not going to do this loan,'" Kerr said.

Kerr says she was told a correction would take 30 to 45 days, which meant Howe's loan lock would expire. Desperate, Kerr contacted the ABC affiliate in San Francisco, KGO-TV.

One phone call from the news staff did the trick. The creditor admitted its mistake, sent an apology, and within 24 hours, the credit report error was corrected.

"I mean it was just mind-boggling," said Kerr.

Howe got her loan and her good interest rate, but she's still furious.

"Because it was just stupid. And nobody should go through this," she said.

This is a perfect example of why you should check your credit reports at least once a year -- to correct any mistakes ahead of this kind of nightmare. Don't wait until you need credit.

By law, you get a free report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year. Just remember: the only Web site you should use to order your free report is AnnualCreditReport.Com. It's the only website that's authorized by the Federal Trade Commission.

Woman denied credit, told she's dead | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | Consumer News

***VamPyroX*** · 11-21-2009, 11:32 AM

Jeez... a Catch-22 situation!

Experian says no cuz a creditor said she was dead.

Other creditors won't do anything unless Experian clears it up.

So, she's stuck...

Berry · 11-21-2009, 11:50 AM

Tried AnnualCreditReport.Com one time. It said I had to answer some questions correctly to get my report. It listed places I had never worked, listed addresses I had never lived, then declared I wasn't me and wouldn't give me anything.

I figure that is just one more hoax.

When my late wife died the government got their data backwards. Way I found out about it was I tried to talk to a financial institution who insisted on talking to my wife. They said they could not divulge information to me because the government said I was dead.

I received that years tax returns in her name only.

No real inconvenience but it was irritating and emotionally very painful.

rockin'robin · 11-21-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berry

Tried AnnualCreditReport.Com one time. It said I had to answer some questions correctly to get my report. It listed places I had never worked, listed addresses I had never lived, then declared I wasn't me and wouldn't give me anything.

I figure that is just one more hoax.

When my late wife died the government got their data backwards. Way I found out about it was I tried to talk to a financial institution who insisted on talking to my wife. They said they could not divulge information to me because the government said I was dead.

I received that years tax returns in her name only.

No real inconvenience but it was irritating and emotionally very painful.

Wow, that was really fucked up!....I had a similar problem several years ago, when they checked my credit report, could find nothing...zit...NADA...on me.....as if I didn't even exist.....so I didn't get the house I was applying for. I let it go!...But the problem has been fixed now. Never found out exactly "what the problem" was!

DeafCaver · 11-21-2009, 02:57 PM

Had a similar experience... gotten a card from Sears and bought something ... then few weeks later got a letter in the mail to my family... expressing condolences of my death. HUH? Wish I kept that letter and framed it. It's not every day you get to walk around dead now is it?

rockin'robin · 11-21-2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafCaver

Had a similar experience... gotten a card from Sears and bought something ... then few weeks later got a letter in the mail to my family... expressing condolences of my death. HUH? Wish I kept that letter and framed it. It's not every day you get to walk around dead now is it?

Probably better off dead than alive in this economy/recession sometimes, huh??...

Berry · 11-21-2009, 04:23 PM

Problem is in our world in any conflict between paperwork and reality -- Paperwork always wins.

shel90 · 11-21-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berry

Problem is in our world in any conflict between paperwork and reality -- Paperwork always wins.

Even paperwork with errors! That's scary, isnt it?

whatdidyousay! · 11-21-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shel90

Even paperwork with errors! That's scary, isnt it?

I got back a bank statement once and I notice one of photo copy of my check looked wrong! I live in a condo and mailed my condo fee out around the same time my neighbors and for some strange reason a photo copy of my
neighbors check ended up on MY bank statement! And a photo of my check ended up on my neighbor bank statement! I was told the The Federal Reserve Bank screwed up!! I had to close up my account and open a new one! I was able to go to my neighbors bank and get a copy of my
cancelled check and we did not use the same bank! It was crazy and scary to know something like this could happen! My neighbors and I were lucky that some dishonest person did not get our cancelled check ! what piss me off was that I was so careful to protect my bank account and The Federal Reserve Bank is the one that fucked up!

CJB · 11-21-2009, 06:52 PM

Berry you are so right about paper work being held as more true than reality. It's stupid, really.

sallylou · 11-21-2009, 08:52 PM

I thought that you weren't officially dead until Social Security listed you in the death index. That's so easy to check. Not listed there, not dead. No matter what some stupid creditor says.

Reba · 11-21-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sallylou

I thought that you weren't officially dead until Social Security listed you in the death index. That's so easy to check. Not listed there, not dead. No matter what some stupid creditor says.

I don't know what you mean by "officially" but a death certificate is usually an accepted proof of death. The Social Security death index isn't immediately updated.

sallylou · 11-21-2009, 11:31 PM

Reba, trust me, they aren't sending checks to dead people. The index is updated immediately.

Reba · 11-21-2009, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sallylou

Reba, trust me, they aren't sending checks to dead people. The index is updated immediately.

The survivors of dead people do sometimes get their SS checks (actually, direct deposit these days), and they have to be returned to SS.

How do you think SS finds out that someone is dead? Usually they are sent a copy of the death certificate.

rockin'robin · 11-21-2009, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sallylou

Reba, trust me, they aren't sending checks to dead people. The index is updated immediately.

I'm not sure about that....I've heard of people still getting their deceased parents SS checks and cashing them....Also, people getting bills in the mail, and writing on the envelope: "Deceased, Does Not Live Here"...and the bills stopped coming....

Reba · 11-21-2009, 11:39 PM

SSA Handbook §1720

Quote:

1720.1 How do you prove someone's death?

You can prove death by providing any of the following evidence:

1. A certified copy of a public record of death;
2. A statement of death by the funeral director;
3. A statement of death by the attending physician or the superintendent, physician, or intern of the institution where the person died;
4. A certified copy of the coroner's report of death or the verdict of the coroner's jury;
5. A certified copy of an official report of death or finding of death made by an agency or department of the United States (U.S.) that is authorized or required to make such a report; or
6. If death occurred outside the United States (U.S.), an official report of death by a U.S. Consul or other employee of the State Department; or a copy of the public record of death in the foreign country.

1720.2 What other evidence is acceptable?

If you cannot obtain any of the evidence above, you can submit statements from two or more persons (preferably not related to you) who saw the body. These statements must be complete and indicate the following:

1. Why none of the types of evidence in (A) through (F) above can be obtained;
2. The date and place of death;
3. The date and place of viewing the body;
4. The cause of death, if known;
5. The occupation, age, sex, and race of the deceased;
6. The relationship of the deceased, if any, to the person making the statements; and
7. The basis for identification of the body.

1720.3 Does a presumptive finding of death by an armed service department prove death?

A presumptive finding of death by an armed service department establishes the fact of death, but not the date of death. The date of death shown by the armed service department in these cases is a statutory date. It is usually a year and a day from the "missing" date, but may be later or earlier. If there is no evidence to establish a later date, the date the individual was "missing" is used as the date of death.
1720.4 How do you prove death in a disappearance case?

In a disappearance case where the body is not recovered, you must clearly prove the death of the missing person. Submit all available evidence, including:

1. Statements of persons having knowledge of the situation;
2. Letters or notes left by the missing person that have a bearing on the case;
3. The results of insurance or police investigations; and
4. The complete facts surrounding the person's disappearance.

sallylou · 11-21-2009, 11:58 PM

Used here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2672222/

Accurint searches might include this information but I think that you have to be an attorney or law enforcement. Not sure. Those reports are best for assets and finding people who know the person in question.

Reba · 11-22-2009, 12:13 AM

From the linked information:

Quote:

As such, these databases are reported to be accurate within six months of a person’s death, as it is mandatory for hospitals and funeral homes to report deaths so Social Security numbers (SSN) can be retired.

The hospitals and funeral homes report to the database, so the database is dependent on other people reporting the deaths to SSA.

Quote:

Hence, we were not able to determine how current the online SSDI is, nor verify the governmental claim that it is completed within six months of a death.

Six months is not immediate.

11-21-2009, 11:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
rockin'robin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 3,365	Woman Denied Credit, Told Her She Was 'Dead' SEATTLE -- A local woman trying to refinance her mortgage got the shock of her life when she learned her credit report had her listed as dead. To make matters worse, the 78 year old had just survived a battle that nearly killed her. All Ann Howe wanted was lower mortgage payments. The last thing she expected was more stress. Months earlier, she'd discovered her husband of 55 years had died in his sleep. Then, she says, a lump in her forehead was misdiagnosed. It turned out to be cancer. Days after cancer surgery, doctors discovered Howe needed open heart surgery. She almost died. When she finally regained her strength, she applied for a mortgage refinance loan to reduce her payments and help her budget. Things were going fine. Two of the credit reporting agencies showed her credit rating was close to 800. But her Experian report had a problem. "Because somebody made a real ignorant mistake when they told Experian that I was dead," Howe said. "I mean, that was a terrible blow." Howe's Experian credit report had her listed as deceased. One of her creditors had reported her as dead. Correcting the mistake was an interstate nightmare that took the full-time attention of Howe's daughter in California. She sent letters, faxes, notarized explanations, long distance phone calls, but for months, she kept running into the same brick wall. Howe's daughter, Julie Kerr, says everyone knew Howe was alive, but the bank wouldn't budge without a credit report from Experian. "(They said) 'We don't care, we have to get a credit score and without that credit score, we can't make the loan and we can't get a credit score because you're deceased. Now we know you're not deceased, but they think you are. So we're not going to do this loan,'" Kerr said. Kerr says she was told a correction would take 30 to 45 days, which meant Howe's loan lock would expire. Desperate, Kerr contacted the ABC affiliate in San Francisco, KGO-TV. One phone call from the news staff did the trick. The creditor admitted its mistake, sent an apology, and within 24 hours, the credit report error was corrected. "I mean it was just mind-boggling," said Kerr. Howe got her loan and her good interest rate, but she's still furious. "Because it was just stupid. And nobody should go through this," she said. This is a perfect example of why you should check your credit reports at least once a year -- to correct any mistakes ahead of this kind of nightmare. Don't wait until you need credit. By law, you get a free report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year. Just remember: the only Web site you should use to order your free report is AnnualCreditReport.Com. It's the only website that's authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. Woman denied credit, told she's dead \| KOMO News - Seattle, Washington \| Consumer News

11-21-2009, 11:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hell Posts: 31,799	Jeez... a Catch-22 situation! Experian says no cuz a creditor said she was dead. Other creditors won't do anything unless Experian clears it up. So, she's stuck... __________________ Check out my city... CLICK HERE! (If you already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

11-21-2009, 11:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
Berry Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oroville, Ca. Posts: 978	Tried AnnualCreditReport.Com one time. It said I had to answer some questions correctly to get my report. It listed places I had never worked, listed addresses I had never lived, then declared I wasn't me and wouldn't give me anything. I figure that is just one more hoax. When my late wife died the government got their data backwards. Way I found out about it was I tried to talk to a financial institution who insisted on talking to my wife. They said they could not divulge information to me because the government said I was dead. I received that years tax returns in her name only. No real inconvenience but it was irritating and emotionally very painful. __________________ . Living life in the sandbox.

11-21-2009, 02:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
DeafCaver Alone again naturally Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 224	Had a similar experience... gotten a card from Sears and bought something ... then few weeks later got a letter in the mail to my family... expressing condolences of my death. HUH? Wish I kept that letter and framed it. It's not every day you get to walk around dead now is it? __________________ Hey look cool pics: http://ralph.rigidtech.com

11-21-2009, 04:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
Berry Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oroville, Ca. Posts: 978	Problem is in our world in any conflict between paperwork and reality -- Paperwork always wins. __________________ . Living life in the sandbox.

Today
Deafness	Sponsored Links __________________ This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on AllDeaf.com

11-21-2009, 06:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
CJB caecilius circumspect Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: U.S. Posts: 1,983	Berry you are so right about paper work being held as more true than reality. It's stupid, really. __________________ Why are we chained, forced to accept those dancing shadows on the cave wall as the only reality? -Riverstyx, inspired by Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"

11-21-2009, 08:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
sallylou Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: My own private Idaho Posts: 2,642	I thought that you weren't officially dead until Social Security listed you in the death index. That's so easy to check. Not listed there, not dead. No matter what some stupid creditor says. __________________ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain

11-21-2009, 11:31 PM	#13 (permalink)
sallylou Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: My own private Idaho Posts: 2,642	Reba, trust me, they aren't sending checks to dead people. The index is updated immediately. __________________ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain

11-21-2009, 11:58 PM	#17 (permalink)
sallylou Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: My own private Idaho Posts: 2,642	Used here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2672222/ Accurint searches might include this information but I think that you have to be an attorney or law enforcement. Not sure. Those reports are best for assets and finding people who know the person in question. __________________ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain

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