Wylie family battles bank rules to get hail damage fixed

One Wylie family had to battle the bank to get repairs started on their hail damaged home.

David Walling’s entire Wylie neighborhood got pounded by giant hail twice in March and April. His roofer was generous enough to put on a new roof without asking for payment. The rest of the repairs though were put on hold until he got a check from his insurer.

Walling, his wife and two kids have been living out of a hotel for more than a month. 

A couple of weeks ago he thought he would be able to pay up when his $32,000 insurance check came in.

But Chase declined to take the check because it was over a $25,000 limit it had for insurance checks. He was told the check was also made to a third party, his mortgage company, Wells Fargo. So he went to Wells Fargo and got its endorsement, but that wasn’t good enough for Chase.                

“I got upset, said a few choice words and walked out of bank called Chase corporate,” Walling said.

He says Chase corporate told him the check limit may be a regional rule, not a company-wide one and was told to try another branch. He did, and this time spoke with a branch manager who told him sorry, he couldn't make the deposit.

“But that I'm not the first person she's had to turn away with a check larger than $25,000,” Walling said.

Walling said the branch manager told him the bank was trying to prevent insurance fraud and suggested he have his insurance company issue him checks in smaller amounts or just sign the entire check over to his builder.

“I'm not sure I want to sign over my entire check hoping he would give me the difference,” Walling said.

He said the manger even suggested he open an account with competitor Wells Fargo. The longtime loyal Chase customer said to top it off, the insurance check in question is from a Chase account.

Bugged by the red tape and tired of living out of a hotel, Walling gave FOX4 a call.

The next day Walling was able to walk into a Chase location and deposit his check -- no questions asked.

In a statement, Chase thanked FOX4 for bringing this to their attention and said to make it easier for Texas storm victims, it increased the check limit from $25,000 to $50,000.

“We'll be able to start paying our builders and they go in to finish the house,” Walling said.

A spokesman for Chase said because it can't verify an endorsement check made out to another business, it is best if people work with their insurance company to get a replacement check made solely to you the homeowner. Especially if it's over $50,000 and that check is made out to another mortgage company other than Chase.