Bank offers money, no answers, after Rockland family's safe deposit box emptied

A Rockland woman says her family's safe deposit box was found empty earlier this year. Now, the bank is offering money but no answers as to how the items inside went missing.

Diane Caruso

Oct 24, 2024, 10:18 PM

Updated 14 days ago

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A Rockland woman says her family's safe deposit box was found empty earlier this year. Now, the bank is offering money but no answers.
The Chase Bank in Stony Point held the family's items secure for nearly three decades - until last June - when they found the safe deposit box lock was changed and then nothing was inside.
"Devastated. Absolutely devastated,” said Vivian Erbetta as she showed News 12 some of what’s missing in photos taken from a past visit. The items gone include jewelry, family heirlooms and thousands of dollars. She says Chase is willing to pay for the items that have receipts.
"We worked very hard for these things. I'm sure our parents and our grandparents also worked hard for these things,” said Erbetta. “So to offer just a couple of dollars for it really doesn't do it justice."
Stony Point police say they are still investigating. They have subpoenas for video and are waiting for the bank to turn that over.
"The bank has done a wonderful job of stonewalling both us and the police,” said Erbetta. “At the same time, they are not giving us any information as to what and who has entered that box and they refuse to."
Unanswered questions leave this long time client with a message for the bank and others who use it. Erbetta said, "I would like to know what happened? I would like them to see like how it affects people. I'd like other people who have their stuff in there to take it out because I don't want the same thing to happen to anyone else."
In response to News 12's questions, a Chase spokesperson says they do not track what a customer puts in or takes out of a safety deposit box but adds they have offered to compensate for the items.
News 12 was told that Chase responded to the subpoena and the video does not exist.