Safe Deposit Box Theft of ID papers

[shirwoo]

Hi there,
I am looking for some advice. My uncle keeps his social security card, his old Hong Kong ID, and his US naturalization papers in the safety deposit box at his local bank in Chinatown. On December 22nd, he discovered them missing. He verbally reported it to the bank manager who assured him that no one but my uncle himself had the keys that could open the box. (I don't know if that makes a difference but this bank has changed owners at least 3 times in the last 15 years now it's a BofA). Yesterday,1/8/07 his stuff magically reappeared. His social security card and HK ID was back but his naturalization paper was only a grimy copy with his original picture not very well stuck on and it had bits of torn paper stuck to the back it was grimy. He also left a watch in the box on December 22nd since it was a ladies watch and now the watch was gone but the strap was still there.

I told my uncle to go to the bank today to get the bank manager's name and to file a written complaint and I will help him write a letter for him to document the conversation he had with the manager (this he did). I also told him to examine the signature card used to sign into to the safe deposit box for a fake signature and/or a date where he knows he did not visit the box. (there were only his signatures in the dates that he went to the box)

I have several questions about how to deal with this further and need some advice/suggestions.

Should I get a lawyer to draft the letter to the bank? Do you know a good local lawyer i could use? Should we sue the bank?
Should he file a police report in the case of identity theft?
Should we report it to immigration in case the "borrowed"/stolen documents were used to smuggle someone into the country?
How should we deal with the bank? Do we file a Safe Deposit Disappearnce Claim?
Has anyone ever heard of this happening at a bank? I know I had a hard time believing it even from my own flesh and blood and he was crying and shaking from fear of someone using his identity to do something illegal.


Any advice would be appreciated. I thank you in advance.

 

[seniorjudge]

Can anyone but your uncle verify that these things happened?

(Please note that it is physically impossible for a bank to get into a rented safety deposit box since they do not have both keys.)

 

[shirwoo]

More information on safe deposit theft

Can anyone but your uncle verify that these things happened?

(Please note that it is physically impossible for a bank to get into a rented safety deposit box since they do not have both keys.)

How can anyone verity the contents of the box. On December 22nd he was outraged when his papers were stolen and spoke to several of the bank employees who all swore no one at the bank had keys to his box. Then on Tuesday Jan 8 when he went back to the box, they were there again - except the naturalization papers looked altered, especially the picture) he spoke to the manager. I don't know how else to verify what happened because no one other than my uncle saw the contents.

I spoke to him extensively last night and found out that my uncle had been robbed about 6 months ago at his home and I asked him to search for the second safe deposit box key he kept there. He could not find it (but he is not positive it was stolen because it could be somewhere else in the house and he misplaced it) and it may have had the box number attached to it on a tag. But still when he examined the sign-in card for his box, it was only his signatures and dates of visit. Even weireder, they returned the documents and they did not take anything else except for a watch (he had some money shoved in the back in plastic grocery bags). He is the only one on the account and the only one who should have access. Any thoughts?

 

[seniorjudge]

...

How can anyone verity the contents of the box. ... I don't know how else to verify what happened because no one other than my uncle saw the contents.

....

Exactly my point.

Sorry, you have no case.