A 10-year-old girl from Arizona earned $2,000 after raising and selling chickens at the local fair. However, the bank abruptly froze the account and held her money, forcing the girl and her family to enter a year-long battle to access the hard-earned funds.
Kinley Maner, a 10-year-old girl from Thatcher, AZ, spent months raising chickens so she could sell them and earn $2,100 at the Graham County Fair auction last year. Her parents later electronically deposited the check into Kinley's mother's bank account, Kalli. The check was issued by the Small Stock Association.
The next day, Kinley's family discovered that Chase Bank had abruptly closed their bank account. The check had also been frozen.
"So we cashed it," J.R. Maner, Kinley's father, told local CBS affiliate KPHO. "Didn't think it would be a big deal. And the next day, Chase closed Kalli's bank account."
Why Did the Bank Close the Account?
The Maners immediately called Chase Bank to find out why Kalli's account had been closed. After hours on the phone, Kalli claimed the bank said they found the deposited check suspicious after they found that the phone number of the Small Stock Association, which issued the payment, was no longer in service.
Kalli also claimed Small Stock Association's treasurer had visited the bank three different times to verify the check and prove that they are indeed a business. Chase, however, said the only way they can verify the check is through the phone number.
The money was left in the bank for over a year.
Chase's actions are standard bank practices for risk management and fraud prevention. Banks typically freeze funds and close accounts when they encounter checks from unfamiliar sources. While in-person verification can resolve the issue, it is possible that Chase follows a policy that requires verification through channels they can document, such as a phone call, per MoneyWise.
How Did the Maners Get the Money?
After several failed attempts, Kinley's family approached the On Your Side team, which contacted Chase. Hours after the initial contact, the bank called the Maners to apologize and overnighted a $2,100 check to Kinley, who said she would use the money for her college funding.
A spokesperson for the bank spoke to PEOPLE magazine and confirmed that Kinley had received her money.
