Dundee Bank, BLACKSTONE BRANCH

Conflict of Interest and Discrimination
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by msgeode, Jan. 05, 2011

I am working with the University of Nebraska Entrepreneurial Program on a fellowship leadership program to help the neighbors in my region of rural Nebraska. Several years ago, I was the managing editor of the Custer County Chief on my Sabbatical for the same express purpose. I have put all my salary and other financial resources into restoring small-town America in my region of 15 towns and villages for more than 20 years, including the writing of stories about and taking thousands of pictures of my rural neighbors in their many pursuits. The purpose of the UNL fellowship is to work with the State Department of Ariculture and the USDA to rebuild the economy of rural America during these difficult times. One of my projects guided to this purpose is to revitalize a heritage once-family home for a new generation in Ansley, whoever that might be. I completely revitalized the house, overcoming the objections of those called the CAVE people at the governor's conference at Kearney this fall. CAVE people, we were informed, are those who give up on Nebraska because they are CITIZENS AGAINST VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING -- CAVE. I put tens of thousands of dollars into the project, replacing the roof and siding in the proper way, the interior walls, ceilings and floors, including a new kitchen, bathroom, porch, all new appliances, new whole-house furnace and air conditioning. During this time, an officer from the bank called, asking to rent the house. I told her I must sell the home to use the funding to continue to revitalize the region. Around this time, one of my contractors walked out, delaying construction and necessitating a loan to bridge the sell of the property. Ironically, I was turned down on the loan by the bankers that sought the lease, a loan action which is strange because I finally managed to get a loan twice the amount at another bank. I saw the apparent conflict of interest of the Ansley bank, and there is also discrimination: I am 66 years old. I am a woman. The resulting action after the rural application for a loan is even more distressing. I am chagrined to say that the bank checking account I opened is not to be honored. This is how it occurred. I signed papers for a checking account at Ansley to be opened during the very hour I sought the loan. When I was turned down for the loan, I closed the checking account. Overnight,  I called back to reinstitute the account, telling the bank officers that I had errored and that I needed to carry through my higher express purpose of helping rural America; that we could work together to do this. Meanwhile, I placed a check into the mail to reinstitute the checking account. My parents had banked at the Ansley bank for years; it seemed right. I received the check back in the mail with a yellow post note that said the account was closed. I called the bank, and was told I could open a new account. I said, please verify this is sure because I had signed papers for the first account. It seemed the written contract should prevail -- the papers I had signed. This morning, January 5, 2011, the bank officials called back to say they had checked with the FDIC and I was refused any bank service at all. Ironically, the Ansley bank did not want me as a customer! Seeing the apparent conflict of interest and the discrimination, I write this complaint. I told the bank official on the phone that it is hard enough to be a woman without my neighbors who are bankers being against the initiative I hope to instill in rural Nebraska to save our communities. When I was on Sabbatical in Nebraska, I had discovered a similar action by my university: the lowest-ranked instructor bragged to me that he made more money than I did. I was the first and only woman at the time to get tenure in journalism at NMSU, and I received a govrnor's award for that. I was second in ranking in journalism, working with 17 men, and eligible for the next chairmanship. It took considerable time and effort, as well, as heartache, to go to EEOC to get that one straightened out. It is a matter of pride in Nebraska that we do not ask for special favors, only ask for equality, whether man, woman or child. It is in our pioneer genes, no? But, yes! But down to the heart of this banking matter. You see, I am using the Ansley sell of the residence to also restore the downtown of the Village of Miller, a project in which I have put over $600,000 already. To lose a village is to lose a community. I fear that because of this discrimination and the conflict of interest, the Ansley bank will not be open to granting loans for the family home in Ansley I have restored to someone else. If so, the banking officials will be helping to destroy the future of their neighbors in nearby Miller, Nebraska, as well as my reputation and congenial power to help my neighbors. My project in Miller, which is targeted to put a dozen people to work in the region, shall also help Ansley. It is discouraging to run into what appears to be selfish interests by banking officials.

Beverly G. Merrick

* this reviewer has be with this bank for >10 years
* this reviewer had 3 - 5 banks before.
* this review was made on Dundee Bank, Security State Bank at Ansley, NE
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