John Vanderaart column cancel bank account

My mother has been happier for years now. Nevertheless, I still have – now had – the ‘inherited account’ in management. For some sentimental reason, I never canceled that account. Anyway, it was time to finally cut the umbilical cord. After all those intervening years and two moves later: “Only an expired debit card…” I look for the telephone number of the bank here. Nowhere to be found. That bank could only be visited by appointment and this had to be arranged via the app. Dead end. I went to the bank on spec and after the belated condolence – “…The cold is already gone, young lady, she is almost back…” – I was actually provided with a working telephone number. Behind that telephone number was a cheerful bank employee who, after a hellish search and click, provided me with a PDF form. “You can fill out that form electronically. Then print it out. Then put a signature on each page. Then scan it. Finally, email it back to us.” In my fortunate case, no sooner said than done. But afterwards I realize what hellish instructions these actually are! What now? You have to be a serious HCC person with serious stuff to be able to arrange everything in one go in – let’s say – 5 minutes. What ordinary mortal can simply fill out a PDF form and print out that PDF form and then scan that printed PDF form again (after placing the signature)? We won’t talk about saving it again as a PDF and emailing it back. Anyway, as a serious HCC member you can easily complete such a job 1-2-3 (!)…

Let’s go back in time. Just after the Second World War? My mother with her father. My grandfather…