How Crazy Would You Be?

Trip · #1 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2008, 09:41 PM

They would have to carry me off in a straight jacket! Read this!

Usually, when you stick something in a safe deposit box, you expect it to be there when you come back. Hence the word "safe."

But one man has found himself out more than $16,500 (plus jewelry) after a termite infestation at his bank resulted in his valuable bills and documents being eaten. The bank had put up a notice warning customers about the hungry pests, but Dwarika Prasad hadn't been to the bank for several months. He returned to find hundreds of thousands of rupees had become bug food, leaving him with termite dust and "badly perforated" papers.

"I'm shattered. I do not know what to do, as I had kept the money for my old age," Prasad is quoted as saying. The bank says that because it had posted a warning, it's not liable for the loss.

Mike M · #2 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2008, 09:56 PM

Was this a U.S. Bank?

Take care,
Mike

Mean Dean · #3 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2008, 12:18 AM

I know all DEPOSITS are FDIC insured up to $100K. But I don't know about cash in a safe deposit box.........

Dean

Trip · #4 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2008, 07:28 AM

I took it as being in India, since his rupees were destroyed...I cannot imagine the local Bank America posting a termite warning:):) This came from aol, front page.

bahamamomma · #5 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2008, 08:14 AM

If that had happened here some heads would be rolling.

It happened in ?India? The same thing would probably happen but since it's there and they have different rules, I'd probably kill myself !

- typically a bank will mail everyone notice (or they should) - if he'd been mailed a notice maybe he could have saved his money/papers. Also, safety deposit boxes are suppose to be air/water tight, and the room they are in is suppose to built like a storm room - in a disaster that's what's left standing.

Either way, I feel sorry for him - would be nice if a f/u story could be done.

Donna · #6 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2008, 08:39 AM

[color=darkblue]Sounds pretty crazy to me, and how could any bug eat a jewel like that??[color]

VTJen · #7 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2008, 09:23 AM

That is a sad story indeed. Gosh, I would be beside myself. I guess when you are in that situation all you can do is pray for a miracle, and replan your "golden years".

I am sorry to hear this. I feel really bad for him. I always assumed safe deposit boxes were made of steel or some other metal. Hence, safe? Does this mean the ones at that bank were of wood? I would never consider storing anything valuable in wood - it would be so easy to break into the neighboring boxes from the inside of yours. I guess I am clueless, and mind boggled by this.