Mr. Zhang is a retired elderly man living in Zhengzhou, Henan. His wife died at an early age, leaving him and his two children. Although Mr. Zhang has a pension, in order to give his children a better life, he still leaves early and returns late every day, picks up waste everywhere, sells trees and grain, saves food and clothing, and finally saves 140,000 yuan for himself. However, his hard work did not exchange respect and comfort, but was troubled by the bank's regulations.
The story takes place on September 2, 2021, when Mr. Zhang passed away due to illness, leaving behind his two children and an elderly mother in her 80s. In order to deal with his affairs and treat his old mother's old age, his children wanted to withdraw the money he had saved in the bank. However, when they went to the bank with Mr. Zhang's passbook and ID card, they were rejected by the bank staff. The bank staff told them that Mr. Zhang had passed away and that they were not eligible to withdraw his money unless they went to a notary office for a notarial deed of inheritance. And this costs a handling fee of about 3,000 yuan.
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This is an old man who was once industrious and thrifty, but after his death, he was troubled by bank regulations.
This incident has aroused widespread concern and discussion in the society. Many netizens expressed their sympathy and support for Mr. Zhang's family on Weibo, WeChat and other platforms. Some netizens said: "What is this rule?" It's so unreasonable! The money that the old man has worked hard to save all his life is frozen like this? And spend that much money to notarize? Isn't this a clear bully of the common people? Some netizens said: "This is also to protect the heritage of the elderly!" If it is not notarized, what if someone else fraudulently claims it? Or what if there are other heirs who object? Banks also come in accordance with laws and regulations. Some netizens said: "Such an incident makes us pay more attention to the issue of inheritance." How can we arrange our property wisely? How can we protect ourselves and our families? ”
This incident has also attracted the attention and reflection of relevant departments and experts. Li Liqun, spokesman for the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, said that banks should abide by laws and regulations, respect the wishes of depositors, protect the legitimate rights and interests of heirs, simplify the handling process, and improve service efficiency when handling the deposit business of deceased depositors. He introduced that according to the Notice on Simplifying the Inquiry into Matters Related to the Deposit of Deceased Depositors, legal heirs such as spouses, children, parents and so on of deceased depositors can submit a written application to the bank to handle deposit inquiry business by virtue of the depositor's death certificate, kinship certificate, identity card, etc., without the need to apply for the "Deposit Inquiry Letter" issued by a notary institution. If there is a will, the heirs or legatees named by the notarized will can also be done in the same way. He also reminded that if the deposit amount is large or there are multiple heirs, it is best to apply for a notarial certificate of inheritance in order to avoid disputes.
Wang Xiaodong, a professor at Henan University's Law School, said that Mr. Zhang's case is a typical inheritance issue, involving inheritance law and testamentary law in the Civil Code. He argued that Mr. Zhang's children, as legal heirs, were entitled to inherit his estate. However, if Mr. Zhang does not leave a will or designate a beneficiary, then his estate needs to be distributed in the order and proportion prescribed in the Civil Code. Doing so requires an impartial third-party body to confirm and monitor. This is why the bank requires Mr. Zhang's children to go to a notary office to apply for a notarial certificate of inheritance. He suggested that we should arrange our property reasonably before we die, and make a will or designate beneficiaries to avoid leaving trouble and disputes for our families.
In short, this incident shows the plight and demands of Mr. Zhang's family, and also reflects the norms and changes of banking and society. We hope that there will be more hardworking and thrifty elderly people like Mr. Zhang, and we hope that there will be more institutions like banks that act according to law. I hope that there will be more netizens like us who care about and support the families of the elderly.