Why the bank still won't act on your parent's power of attorney
You've got the power of attorney document in a folder somewhere, signed two years ago, witnessed properly, exactly the way the lawyer told you to do it. Your dad can't get to the branch anymore, so you go in to move money for a roof repair. The teller reads two pages, says she has to send it to head office, and that it could take a few weeks. The roof is leaking now, not in a few weeks.
This happens constantly, and it catches families off guard because they assumed a signed, witnessed document was the end of the conversation. It's usually the start of a second one, with the bank.
The document being valid isn't the same as the bank acting on it
A power of attorney for property is a legal document the moment it's signed and witnessed correctly under Ontario's Substitute Decisions Act. That part isn't up for debate. But no law forces a bank to accept it on sight. Each bank sets its own internal review process for deciding when to rely on one, and that process is usually stricter than the law requires. A branch employee isn't weighing whether your document is legally sound. They're checking it against a compliance checklist written by someone in a head office you'll never speak to, and if it doesn't match exactly, it gets kicked upstairs.
The Canadian Bankers Association has been clear on one point: no bank is allowed to insist you use its own in-house POA form instead of a valid one you already have. If a teller tells you that, push back and ask for that in writing. Often it clears things up on the spot.
What they're actually checking behind the counter
A few things trigger extra scrutiny. An original document, or at minimum a properly certified copy, not a phone photo. Whether the signing and witnessing match the rules in force the year it was signed. Whether the attorney named matches the ID in front of them, word for word. And whether anything about the request looks like it could be elder financial abuse, which banks are trained, and increasingly pressured, to watch for. That last one is the reason even a clean document sometimes gets a second look. It's not personal.
Check whether it's even supposed to be active yet
Some POAs are written to take effect immediately. Others are "springing," meaning they only activate once a doctor confirms your parent can no longer manage their own finances. If your dad's document has a springing clause, the bank is right to pause, because legally, you may not have authority yet. Pull out the document and read that clause before you argue with anyone at the counter. It's worth five minutes.
If it's valid and they're still stalling
Ask the teller to write down, specifically, what's missing or wrong. Then ask to speak to the branch manager directly, not a call centre. Bring the original document, your ID, and your parent's ID if they can come. If the branch still won't move, every major bank has an internal complaints office that has to respond within a set number of days, and above that sits an external ombudsman for banking complaints. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada also takes complaints when a bank isn't following its own disclosed policies. Most of this gets resolved at the branch manager step. Few families ever need to go further.
Do this before you need it, not during the emergency
The roof-leak version of this story is avoidable. Call your parent's bank now, while nothing is urgent, and ask what they require to put a POA on file in advance. Many branches will register it ahead of time so it's already verified sitting in the account notes, instead of being reviewed for the first time during a crisis. Bring the original.
What to do this week
- Find your parent's power of attorney document and check whether it's immediate or springing.
- Call the bank's general line and ask what they need to pre-register a POA on file.
- Book an in-person appointment rather than walking in cold. Ask specifically for someone who handles POA file reviews.
- Bring the original document and two pieces of ID, both yours and your parent's.
- If a teller refuses, ask for the specific reason in writing before you leave the branch.