Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

[maxstamp]

I am interested to know if anyone has had a bad experience with the safe custody of documents or valuables at Clydesdale Bank (Piccadilly branch particularly) between 1985 and 2008. We had our strong box broken into and valuables stolen, which we only discovered when we visited the branch ourselves. The bank is in denial etc! What action - successful or otherwise - might you have experienced? Has anyone sued successfully over an issue like this? Thanks in advance for any advice or anecdotes.

[stivis]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

We had our strong box broken into and valuables stolen,

If stolen it would be a police issue and should be reported asap........IMO

You could take action against the Clydesdale after the police complete their enquiries,I do see a few obstacles in your way when pursuing the bank, many one would be proof of the actual contents

[maxstamp]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Thanks - yes, it's a police matter, but unfortunately it was unreported at the time so there's little they can do. So it's now precisely those obstacles with the bank that we are encountering, given their lack of cooperation.

[stivis]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

but unfortunately it was unreported at the time so there's little they can do.

it may well have been unreported at the time, however you reported as soon as you were aware.
Is that correct?

[leclerc]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Why was it unreported at the time?

[stivis]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

I am speculating here , if the leasee of the box was unaware of the theft, then in wouldn't be reported.and the nature of the boxes in general is a "let's stick the stuff in there,it's safe and forget about it"type of thing
That does of course begs the question of damage to the box, was any incurred?

[leclerc]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

I am speculating here , if the leasee of the box was unaware of the theft, then in wouldn't be reported.and the nature of the boxes in general is a "let's stick the stuff in there,it's safe and forget about it"type of thing
That does of course begs the question of damage to the box, was any incurred?

You report the theft immediately you are aware of it. I should add something, In most of the dealings I have had with Safe Custody boxes, the bank is NEVER aware as to the contents of a box since they are not required to have an inventory of what is in the box, so, say for example, you wanted to keep thousands of pounds away from the taxman then putting it in safe custody in a bank is a possibility.

I would prefer not to speculate on any theft, but most safe custody is kept in a safe so that there is little room for internal theft or the opening of a box/parcel which is sealed by the person who owns that box/parcel.

[maxstamp]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Yes, we reported it once we were aware, but the window for a useful investigation is really over. We don't know why it was unreported originally, but not even we were told. When we went to use the box it had been moved out of its strong room and its chains had been broken off, so it was obviously broken into and this would have been very apparent to the bank. I believe other customers lost documents after (unrelated) flooding so everything was in a mess. We're just wondering if anyone else knows what to do with the bank given they're not cooperative.

[leclerc]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Yes, we reported it once we were aware, but the window for a useful investigation is really over. We don't know why it was unreported originally, but not even we were told. When we went to use the box it had been moved out of its strong room and its chains had been broken off, so it was obviously broken into and this would have been very apparent to the bank. I believe other customers lost documents after (unrelated) flooding so everything was in a mess. We're just wondering if anyone else knows what to do with the bank given they're not cooperative.

This is something most people do not do but did you take out any insurance, which could or should have been offered when it was first placed in safe custody?

[charitynjw]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Apologies - I don't mean to trivialise this understandably upsetting event, but it reminds me of one of my favourite films.





Click "Watch on YouTube"

[bluebottle]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

I would ask Clydesdale Bank when they became aware of the damage to the box, why they didn't inform you immediately and whether the box was opened under authority of a warrant or other legal authority. If it was under the authority of a warrant or court order, a copy would have been left with them. I know this from when I was in the police force and was required, on very rare occasions, to force open safe deposit boxes.

[maxstamp]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Unfortunately those are the sorts of questions they're dragging their heels over answering. They have not mentioned any legal order, and I cannot imagine why one would apply to my box; this is being treated as a theft. Insurance coverage is a grey area given the circumstances and lack of clarity over responsibility....

[leclerc]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

Unfortunately those are the sorts of questions they're dragging their heels over answering. They have not mentioned any legal order, and I cannot imagine why one would apply to my box; this is being treated as a theft. Insurance coverage is a grey area given the circumstances and lack of clarity over responsibility....

With insurance there is no grey area, either you took it out or you didn't and unfortunately, they usually state that liability lies with yourself with regards to this.

[maxstamp]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

well, the box was forced open while it was held in the bank's safe custody at the time the theft was discovered I had stopped the insurance in order to save money on my insurance premium and as it was in the bank I thought it could come to no harm, certainly I never dreamt that it could be broken into. I do not believe that the Bank reported it to the police when they discovered that the box had been forced open. They did not report it to me either, I reported it to the police. I do not believe that the Bank did anything proactive to find out when and how this theft could have happened. The Bank is in total denial and seem to be only interested for me to prove what was in the box in the first place. How can I do this when what was there has been stolen?

[leclerc]

Re: Theft from Clydesdale strong box - any experience/advice?

well, the box was forced open while it was held in the bank's safe custody at the time the theft was discovered I had stopped the insurance in order to save money on my insurance premium and as it was in the bank I thought it could come to no harm, certainly I never dreamt that it could be broken into. I do not believe that the Bank reported it to the police when they discovered that the box had been forced open. They did not report it to me either, I reported it to the police. I do not believe that the Bank did anything proactive to find out when and how this theft could have happened. The Bank is in total denial and seem to be only interested for me to prove what was in the box in the first place. How can I do this when what was there has been stolen?

You mentioned a flood at the bank, did this affect the main safe?
Have the banked agreed with you that the box was forced open?
Is it the breaking of the chain around the box or was there a key lock on the safe custody that was forced open?
Did you take pictures of the state of the box on the day or shortly thereafter as to the state it was in?


Without the insurance I suspect there is very little you can do unfortunately because the insurance would have paid out and if the bank is denying that any valuable were stolen then there is not much more that can be done.
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I wanted to add this document from the Financial Ombudsman Service for you as well:

issue 30 - banking - boxes