So you tried to withdraw money from your Bank of America account, but you discovered that your account is frozen. When a bank freezes a customer's account, you no longer have access to the funds in that account and therefore, you cannot make cash withdrawals or purchases or pay bills with that bank account. Unfortunately, the bank does not have to notify you prior to freezing your account as long as take the action for a valid reason.
If you are currently a Bank of America customer and your account is frozen, you can take steps to unfreeze your bank account in a timely manner.
Determine the Cause
Find out the reason your account is frozen. Bank of America may freeze your account for several reasons: account inactivity (meaning you have not used your account for an extended period of time); suspected fraudulent activity, such as excessive or irregular number of transactions; or a negative balance for an excessive length of time.
In addition, Bank of America may freeze your account for an unpaid debt to a creditor or if you owe back taxes to the IRS. However, for a creditor or collection agency to freeze your bank account, the company must first sue you for the unpaid debt, win the lawsuit and receive a judgment from the court, says The Law Offices of David M. Offen.
Get it in Writing
Request a confirmation letter from Bank of America. Ask the bank customer service representative to send you a confirmation letter explaining why your bank account is frozen and the actions you need to take to unfreeze your account. The letter is especially helpful if you wrote checks or authorized debits on your account prior to your account being frozen because those items will be returned to the payee as unpaid.
Remedy the Problem
Resolve the issue in a timely manner. For instance, if your account was frozen due to inactivity or because it was overdrawn, you may simply need to make an appropriate deposit into your account for the bank to release the freeze. According to Compare Remit, you can also call the bank if fraud is suspected. If you have fraud protection, your money may be refunded. You'll also be issued a new debit card with a new number or advised to close out the account and open a new one.
However, if your account was frozen due to a judgment, then you will need to contact the creditor or collection agency to settle your debt. Please note you may be able to negotiate a settlement offer or payment plan with the creditor for the unpaid debt.
Confirm Your Account Status
Confirm any changes to your Bank of America account status. Once you have taken the necessary actions to unfreeze your account, contact Bank of America to verify that the freeze has been removed. If you settled your debt or made an appropriate payment arrangement with the creditor or collection agency, the creditor should immediately instruct the bank to remove the freeze from your account. If the freeze still appears on your account, you may need to contact your local court for further assistance.