I went to one of my mother’s financial institutions to set up the POA with them and had a very strange experience. First the banker asked if she were deceased and I said no, you cannot use a POA if the person is deceased. She then said that my mother needed to be present. I said, no, the purpose of the POA was that she could no longer transact business on her own behalf and requiring her to be there would defeat the purpose. (The POA had been signed by both of us and notarized, and I had also presented the physician’s letter stating that the POA was necessary.) She insisted, and I said, fine, my mother will not know why she is here or understand what you are asking her or be able to respond coherently, and will likely be agitated and combative to the point of violence, but if that’s what you want to see, I can bring her. She stared at me for a few moments, then backed off of that “requirement," then refused my paperwork on the grounds that it was a copy and not the original. Now I already think something funny was going on because this was a senior banker at a very prestigious national trust institution, who should be well aware that POAs are not for dead people, and that they indicate that the person is incapacitated. But is that something that anyone else has ever heard of?
What does one do when the bank refuses? Just not take care of the person’s business at their whim?
Yes, you must ABSOLUTELY have the originals with you. And never leave them out of your sight (for instance on a plane do not check them through).
A copy is NOT sufficient. Do also know that if this account is held in several names and if this is a trust account the POA will not be sufficient. When they question your POA be certain that you acknowledge that they are attempting to protect your Mother against nefarious actors. When I got POA and Trustee of Trust for my brother I was VERY scrutinized. They were acting in his interest. I am hoping you had this done with a Lawyer and all original papers are in order. Be certain to set up an appointment with the bank officer, not a regular teller.
I also never said anything about the account being held in trust or being held in several names. It is her name only with a TOD designated—which is me, alone. I understand and appreciate the extra scrutiny—as I said above in a further answer, I underwent that with every other entity I have dealt with, just no one else seemed to assume the worst and look for a way to deny it.