The administrator of a deceased man’s estate alleges a bank allowed an unauthorized woman to withdraw more than $60,000 from the man’s account.
Eddie Bass filed a lawsuit Sept. 19 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Associated Bank and Ethel Randolph.
In his complaint, Bass alleges the recently deceased Eli Burrell Jr. died on Sept. 23, 2010, after buying a cashier’s check for $61,066.65, which was supposed to be payable to either Eli Burrell Jr. or Ethel Randolph or Willie Burrell.
On Sept. 24, 2010, Randolph went to Associated Bank in St. Clair County with a copy of a different cashier’s check belonging to Burrell. She attempted to withdraw the money from the account. Associated Bank employees told her that Burrell had already cashed the check. They advised her of the $61,066.65 cashier’s check Burrell had purchased and helped her to obtain the money by completing a “Declaration of Loss” and an “Affidavit and Indemnity Agreement for Issuance of Replacement of Lost Check,” according to the complaint.
Bass claims Associated Bank employees should never have allowed Randolph to withdraw the money from the account, however, because she had no knowledge of the cashier’s check. He contends he has a right to the money from the check – not Randolph.
In addition to the value of the check, Bass is seeking court costs.
Kevin Boyne of Belleville will be representing him.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-481.