A couple in Danville, California were shocked to discover earlier this year that heirlooms they had stored in a safety deposit box at a Bank of America were missing. They were even more shocked when they found out that Bank of America had drilled open the box, removed the valuables and shipped them for holding in South Carolina.

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. The word “Box” refers to the safe deposit box account and the safe deposit box including, if applicable, the compartment inside the safe box where the contents may be held. The words “Bank,” “we” and “us” mean Bank of America, N.A. If you know the name of the bank where the box was held, but the branch has since moved, changed its name, or closed, don’t assume that unclaimed safe deposit box contents are lost forever. It is possible the contents were transferred to a successor institution. Go to: Bank & Credit Union Missing Money Search. There are no federal or state laws concerning what cannot be stored in a safe deposit box. The only restrictions are those in the bank’s contract that the customer signs when she rents a box. Most bank contracts prohibit anything dangerous, such as explosives. There are no rules against keeping cash in safe deposit boxes. Keeping a stash of cash in a safe deposit box isn’t a good idea for several.

When Unsa Kamal and her husband Aizad received a letter from Bank of America informing them their box had been drilled opened and emptied, they said they thought it was junk mail. But after carefully reviewing the letter, the Kamals said the bank in fact emptied their safe deposit due to lack of information.

“They claim they didn’t have Social Security numbers, which is not true,” Aizad Kamal said. When they open the account that’s something very basic they ask for and they have that.”

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A local CBS affiliate Consumer Watch verified that the Kamal's had listed their correct Social Security numbers on their rental agreement with the bank, but Bank of America would not admit any wrongdoing.

BoA did agree to return the items, although they would not insure them for their full value, so the Kamal's hired an attorney to help them force the bank to insure the heirlooms -- some going back several generations -- for their full current replacement value. The bank now won't comment due to pending litigation.

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Answer by John Burnett:
This is a judgment call. If you want to accommodate this customer, you might require him to remove the firing pins and certify that he has done so. Ask him to allow a bank employee knowledgeable of firearms examine them to ensure that all rounds have been removed. Demand that no ammunition be stored in the box. That pretty much removes the guns from the definition of 'inherently dangerous.'
Obviously, this guy has stepped up to the plate and asked permission, when he could easily have ignored your rules and put a loaded and operable handgun in the vault without your knowing.

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Answer by Andy Zavoina:
If this is an unloaded weapon it poses no harm, per your contract. This is especially so if it is an antique and not able to fire. In this case I'd say it is able to be stored there.
If you want to hold fast to your policy, you may do so but exceptions are made regularly to policies in banks. The storage of a weapon is likely not the reason the sign is there. If the customer wants it stored so that it is not available to children then I would be more apt to allowing this. For safety you may want to require that it have a trigger lock and that neither the key nor ammunition be stored in the bank.

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Answer by Ken Golliher:
My suggestion is that you tell the customer you meant what you said on the sign on the front door. My unloaded guns are definitely not inherently dangerous. However, I am the only one who is ever certain they are not loaded and I have seen more than one dedicated gun owner accidentally discharge an 'unloaded' weapon. Having employees inspect them violates the 'prime directive' in terms of the bank's goal of not knowing what is in the box.
One training client had a renter walk in the front door carrying an ancient Buntline revolver in plain sight. Some employees had unpleasant reactions. He just laughed and said he was only going to put it in his safe deposit box. The branch manager was so angry she refused him access to the box and threatened to call the police if he ever did it again. Some people, particularly bank employees, are simply afraid of guns and their fears should be respected.
If a customer is discrete, he can do it without your knowledge and contract terms prohibiting the storage of firearms may protect the bank if a problem arises. However, if the customer asks, I would say, 'No.'
First published on BankersOnline.com 9/2/03