You cannot take a breath in this country. You are old and suffer from a degenerative disease and you try to make your life a bit easier. No chance, in this country with automatic control mechanisms. Authorities come and grab your savings for the debts of another person. A dementia patient in Patras, was shocked to see that her saving had disappeared from her bank account as authorities seized 10,000 euro without previously notifying her. Why? Because her daughter, who was co-holder of the account, had debts…
When the dementia patient, 80, went to withdraw cash from the ATM, she realized that no money was left on her bank account. She was informed by the bank that all her money, 10,000 euro, was seized by the state because her daughter had debts.
The seizure of bank acocunts for debts have been in effect since 2012 or 2013 – I’m not sure right now.
Local PatrasTimes, notes that the woman used to sue the money to cover her increasing medical expenses and that in addition to dementia she is also hearing impaired.
Apart from the fact that it is irrelevant where the dementia patient would spend her savings, we have a social problem here as children are often co-holders in their aged parents’ accounts and thus for security and safety reasons. We have also a control mechanisms’ problem here showing that the seizure procedures do not adequately cover everything they should. Can the state seize money from bank accounts due to debts of a third person? Apparently, it can. Do the state control mechanisms investigate who is first account holder, who is co-holder? Do they investigate and compare and crosscheck tax declarations of back accounts holders and co-holders? Apparently, they don’t. And much to my knowledge, banks and authorities do not even notify in advance the upcoming seizure – probably out of fear, that the money can be confiscated.
The Greek Finance Ministry should look into such cases and find ways to adjust its regulations.
PS Meanwhile I hear form Spain, that this is also a practice there, however the seizure is being done to half of the amount available on the bank account.
