Taking things for granted

Quite often in life we take things for granted.Of course we also take people for granted!!. A seperate psot about it later.

This post is to highlight the difficulties encountered when we take things for granted and how a few precautions in the normal course would be of great assistance in mitigating the same to a great extent.Let me also make it clear that the purpose of this post is not one of fault finding.

Very often we tend to assume that since we continue to handle a function/work in a particular way and since every thing is going on smoothly ,ther eis nothing to suspect the bonafides or todoubt the pitfals if any which may not be to our knowledge.Let me elaborate.

We continue to handle a bank account.WE have given the nomination particulars. We have given proof of identity. WE have given the pan numbers. We have given standing instructions for renewal of deposits or trnasfer of balances to another account.WE therefore presume/believe that tax will be properly deducted and credited , the proceeds will be automatically reinvested on maturity, and in the event of an worse scenario the nominee will get the proceeds.In other words we have taken for granted that instructions, once given will automatically be implemented by every one concerned.Far from reality.

You have to check and ensure (even it is embarassing to you and even your fine manners prevent you from doing so )that you have a confirmation regarding nomination made by you, a confirmation of updation of your instructions in the master reord of your account.Otherwise , as it happened to me , when my brother passed away and when we stepped into the bank to get the proceeds as nominee, it transpired that the nomination was not at all recorded any where and added to that the account opening form itself was missing. A fit case for reference to banking ombudsman.Still the finer qualities of gentleman, prevented from creating a scene at the bank and instead a mediocre approach of cajoling and convincing was to be taken.But some people will never listen to reasoning and that wisdom dawned after half a dozen attempts to meet the bank manager. The fact that they have lost the nomination form as well as account opening form itself would be sufficient reason to pin point that the bank was at fault.However attempts to convince them indirectly , to give comfort level to them(as after all they are protecting the money on our behalf with out allowing access to the same !!)by indicating to them that all along the account was operated by my wife(as my brother was physically challenged) and all along they have been honouring the with drawals made by her, that the account was one of the very few accounts to be opened on the inaugural day of the branch itself and that the self had been made as nominee in respect of a few other possessions of my brother (like LIC policies-fortunately these nominations were available)were of no avail.Thee were very polite(is it so..my wife fumes)but maintaining the stand that i should get a VAO (VILLAGE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER )certificate to make the claim.

Here begins the journey again.All those who happened to read this post , beware.This post is not to scare them away, but to make them understand not to take things for granted.VAO office is one in which tables and chairs will always be there, but the personnel, atleast those who can respond will be missing.Again a dozen attempts to reach them. Once you establish a contact with them, you get the wisdom that to enable them to take up your case you shold get a clearance from a THASHILDAR'S OFFICE, directing the VAO to take up the issue.AGAIN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO THASHILDAR'S office. MANY A TIME YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO Meet them, and in case you are successful, you are put off by their initial remarks that the issue do not fall under their domain or that they are not the authorities to decide on the isssue.One has got to be extremely patient, resourceful, energetic and also dumb (outside appearance atleast ) or extremely smart to get to know who should be approached, what is to be done and hoe to handle the whole affair.Then you are given the stamped clearance to proceed back to VAO directing them to examine.

Here once again whole lot of queries (which make you understand how many things you have taken for granted 0 will be asked.This would include among other things , death certificates of your father, mother,brother, brother's wife and so on. Most of them we would not have obtained (because they seldom left any properties or they have passed away decades back) or would have been obtained and lost somewhere in dust bins.IF YOU DO NOT PRODUCE these certificates the doubts that they have will vary from your having driven away your parents to old age homes(to deny them the due share of the property !!)or having committed the murder of your brother's wife, or still further your brother having married more than once and having ditched all of them with out giving them even a penny of his earnings !!!hahaha

ASSUMING YOU ARE ABLE TO REASON WITH THEM , they will give you atlast set of papers advising you to get signature of atleast 20 people (respectable!!) of your locality certifying correctness of various particulars furnished by you (the fact that all residents of my locality have come in after a decade of my occupying that place does not matter).Once you do this exercise and revert back to their office, it would have been shifted elsewhere ,about 20-30 kms from where it was operating as the owner would have evicted them for the peanut rent that they were giving.Here again you have taken for granted that they will continue to operate in the same office !!!Then once you locate and hand over the papers (and please take a photo copy of the entire set before delivery as you can not fault them for missing it since they have not faulted you for not keeping in possession the death certificates of your ancestors), they will keep you guesiing as to the date on which you should call on them .Bettr note down the name of VAO, the name and telephone (read as cell ) number of the assistant to VAO etc as you should atleast clal them a dozen times before you can get their disposal.

After you get the VAO's disposal you are required to call upon the Revenue officials who will have his own question and answer session before finalising his remarks on the claims made by you.After disposal of the Revenue official , you will be directed to meet the THASHILDAR (whose office earlier directed the VAO to examine the case and submit the proceedings).HOLD YOUR BREATH NOW........

Thashildar WILL ASK YOU WHO HAS DIRECTED YOU TO HIM/HER as it is not within his powers/authority to give a disposal on your claim to the property....HOWEVER HE WILL BE GRACIOUS TO TELL YOU THAT HE WILL RECORD HIS INABILITY TO EXERCISE HIS AUTHORITY AND THAT HE WILL REFER YOU TO COURT TO take an appropriate approval from the court. SOOOO KIND OF HIM...

All because i have taken too many things for granted, including that my brother will outlive me!.PLEASE THEREFORE MAKE A WILL RIGHT AWAY(EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO PROPERT AS OF NOW) BEQUEATHING ALL OF THE SAME TO YOUR NEAR AND DEAR so that they will not scold you in the extreme happening, BY RUNNING FROM PILLAR TO POST..