Ontario man warns people to check bank statements after error nearly costs him $10K
An Ontario man who lost more than $10,000 after a cheque he wrote was cashed twice said he was pushed to the end of his rope trying to fight TD Bank to get the money back.
David Heathfield, who owns a small waste equipment brokerage, said he wrote a cheque for US$8,000 back in January to purchase some new equipment from a dealer in Florida.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Typically, Heathfield said he waits until the end of the quarter to reconcile his books and make sure there are no banking issues.
He said in late March, at the end of the first quarter, he checked his bank statements and saw no discrepancies.
“I reconciled and everything balanced, because the US$8,000 was there,” Heathfield told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
But at the end of the second quarter in July, Heathfield said he noticed the same US$8,000 cheque, according to his April statement, had been cashed again, leaving him out more than CAD$10,000.
Heathfield said he immediately called TD Bank to try and get his money back, but because of a 30-day deadline to report discrepancies he was told he would be on the hook for the loss.
According to the bottom of Heathfield’s bank statements, which have been viewed by CTV News Toronto, customers are asked to ensure they report in writing any errors or irregularities within 30 days of the document’s issue date.
“If you do not, the statement of account shall be conclusively deemed correct except for any amount credited to the account in error,” the bank statement read.
Heathfield admits he had seen that fine print in the past, but never really paid it too much attention.
He said as months went on, he didn’t give up fighting for his money back.
“I’m at the end of my rope,” he said.
After speaking with Heathfield, CTV News Toronto contacted TD Bank to comment on the situation.
In a statement issued Thursday evening, and following an investigation into the incident, a TD Bank spokesperson said it was working directly with Heathfield to find a resolution.
“We strongly encourage all customers to regularly and carefully review their monthly account statements and immediately report any discrepancies by calling our EasyLine team or visiting their local branch,” the statement read.
That same day, Heathfield said that “out of the blue” he got a call from TD Bank’s head office.
“They have been asked to review my case and are allowing this one-time exception for an error and will be crediting my account the full US$8,000,” he said.
Although Heathfield said he still doesn’t know who cashed the cheque a second time, he said he wanted to share his story to help prevent the same thing happening to someone else.
“I think people need to be aware that, even at the bottom of the statement, any errors or omissions need to be reported within in 30 days. It was always there. I've just never looked at it, but it’s a killer.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.