Jean Lewis reimbursed an undisclosed amount by TD Bank

Tantallon widow Jean Lewis has won her battle with TD Bank. 

Lewis was reimbursed for a stock purchase she says she requested, but was never made, costing her thousands of dollars.

Lewis' husband, Larry, died in late January 2014. His will appointed her as executrix and sole beneficiary, but she ran into roadblocks as she tried to get information about the accounts and access them.

"It's been a long, long battle with them," said Lewis.

In May 2014, Lewis called TD to sell some stock. Two days later, she called to buy it back. She also requested paper statements because she does not do online banking.

The stock was sold, but never purchased back. As well, she never received the requested paper statements.

That and other difficulties prompted her to complain to the Nova Scotia Securities Commission about TD's handling of her husband's estate.

"It was like a big secret and I wasn't allowed any information on my husband's accounts and this went on and on and on until the securities commission got involved," said Lewis.

The commission did get those paper statements last fall and it was then Lewis realized the stock purchase had not been made. The stock had increased in value over the months and she calculated her loss at about $7,500.

Initially the bank said there was nothing it could do, but it has since reimbursed her an undisclosed amount.

TD responds

In an email, a TD spokesperson said they reached out to Lewis in January when this was brought to their attention "to help address her concerns and resolve any outstanding issues."

The statement also said TD apologized to Lewis and has "taken steps to try to make her investing experience more comfortable in the future."

Lewis is pleased to have the matter resolved, but she remains bitter about the entire experience.

At one point, soon after she informed the bank of her husband's death and gave them a copy of his will, Lewis was told by a bank official that her husband, who she described as "the love of my life," had left some of his money to another woman who lived nearby. The bank official even named the "other" woman. It turned out that woman's husband had also recently died and also had investments with TD. The bank official subsequently apologized for the mix-up.

The Securities Commission is continuing its investigation.

Lewis' experience has her urging others to make sure they get paper statements for all banking transactions.