Story received from the sister. She's the one that had to go down there to deliver some cash. I didn't think her story would get to convoluted.
The nephew is an architect in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area. Kind of one of those "Professional" occupations like a doctor, dentist, lawyer types. If he can't get any quick cooperation, what chance does a ding dong like me have?
I do business with 2 banks. One I visit once or twice a month and one I have not stepped foot in for 2 or 3 years. The trouble with a small town is everybody knows your business. The radio station, newspaper and fraternal organizations all publish happy birthday wishes each year, occupation, address and phone number are in the phone book. Not to hard to find. It's just little more than a pamphlet.
I seriously doubt the bank that has not seen me in several years will part with cash with no ID. The other bank would probably part with enough for a couple days expenses if the management that knows me is there. The younger tellers would be of little help. They have a high turn over rate like they do at most banks. They keep getting pregnant. ( Don't know how that happens
)
The DMV? One clerk ain't to bad, but the other is an ------- extraordinaire. I would expect no cooperation from that one. I can hear them now. "Oh, I don't know. We'll have to clear that with the main office at the state capitol. It could take a couple days." Two days later, "Oh the person we need to talk to is at a conference, he won't be back until next week, Sorry." Yeah, it's that kind of an organization. I could be wrong, but I hold no faith in them. Oh, and they are closed the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Don't have a problem on those days either.
It's funny you should mention safe deposit boxes. I have a source that works in the banking industry, for one of the oldest banks in the state. The last time we got together, we were talking about that very subject. He said there was a waiting line for safe deposit boxes. New banks don't want to put them in and only older people like you and I are using them. Go to one of the newer branch banks for a nationwide chain and you probably will not find a box in the building. Just the way business is done now. Come to think of it, the safe deposit boxes in my bank are in a room about 12 feet long with boxes lining the two sides up to a height of about 6 feet. There can be no more than 500 boxes in there, max. Not nearly enough to provide for every family in the service area. Oh! Crap! The safe deposit key is in the ashes of the house somewhere. Oh well, I'll just pay to have the lock drilled. Jeez they're high priced! The locksmith can make it over tomorrow morning.
My insurance agent? Haven't seen him in years. I send him money, he sends me a policy and holiday greeting cards every year. The front office girl kind of knows me. I stopped in after the first of the year to see if they were giving away those nifty calendars I like (They were) and I had to jog her memory with a little chit chat to remind her who I was. When I had a shop fire in '08, an adjuster was sent out. He wrote a check for five thousand and said he would be back. Two months and many phone calls later we got to see him again. He said the Mississippi flooding that spring had taken all the manpower away. Yeah, that's the kind of luck I have with insurance companies and I don't think I'm alone.
Bottom line Stan, I think you have to take care of yourself. If my house burns on a Saturday night, nothing happens until Monday morning. Until then I have no ID, no safe deposit box key, no cell phone, no car keys, no cash, no credit cards, no meds. Prostate plugged up, blood pressure maxed out. Electricity is gone, killed by the power company at the fire departments request. So, no well pump, poor sleep without CPAP, no shower, no pooper, Land line is gone, internet is gone, no TV, no radio, no heat, no lights. Rural living far from civilization sure is fun.
If I didn't have backup in place, I'd be cold, hungry and cranky. Shoot- - - - - I'm a cranky old man now, can you imagine what I'd be like after a stop at the DMV? Michael Douglas in "Falling Down" comes to mind. OOPS, all the weapons are gone too. I can't even through a good temper tantrum!
So, as a thought experiment/exercise. How do you come out after a devastating loss? Good / fair, but damaged / badly damaged, having to start over from scratch.
