FIRSTENERGY FAMILY Credit Union, Inc. MEMBERSHIP AND ACCOUNT AGREEMENT
This Agreement covers your rights and responsibilities concerning your accounts and the rights and responsibilities of FirstEnergy Family Credit Union (Credit Union). In this Agreement, the words “you,” “your,” and “yours” mean anyone who signs an Account Card, Account Change Card, Member Services Request, or any other account opening document (Account Card), or for whom membership and/or service requests are approved through the Credit Union’s online application and authentication process. The words “we,” “us,” and “our” mean the Credit Union. The word “account” means any one or more share or deposit accounts you have with the Credit Union.
Your account type(s) and ownership features are designated by you on your Account Card or through the Credit Union’s online application and authentication process. By signing an Account Card or authenticating your request, each of you, jointly and severally, agree to the terms and conditions in this Agreement, and any Account Card, Funds Availability Policy Disclosure, Truth-in-Savings Disclosure, Electronic Fund Transfers Agreement and Disclosure, Privacy Disclosure, or Account Receipt accompanying this Agreement, the Credit Union Bylaws or Code of Regulations (Bylaws), Credit Union policies, and any amendments, including additions, deletions, or other changes, made to these documents from time to time that collectively govern your membership, accounts and services.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT - To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, if applicable, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents.
- MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY — To join the Credit Union, you must meet the membership requirements, which may include the purchase and maintenance of the minimum required share(s) (hereinafter membership share), paying a membership fee, or other requirement(s) as set forth in the Credit Union’s bylaws. You authorize us to check your account, credit and employment history, and obtain reports from third parties, including credit and consumer reporting agencies, to verify your eligibility for the accounts, products and services you request and for other accounts, products, or services we may offer you or for which you may qualify.
- INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS — An individual account is an account owned by one member who has qualified for credit union membership. If the account owner dies, the interest passes, subject to applicable law, to the account owner’s estate or Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary/payee or trust beneficiary, subject to other provisions of this Agreement governing our protection for honoring transfer and withdrawal requests of an owner or owner’s agent prior to notice of an owner’s death, any security interest or pledge granted by the account owner, and our statutory lien rights.
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JOINT ACCOUNTS — A joint account is an account owned by two or more persons.
- Rights of Survivorship. Unless otherwise stated on the Account Card or documented through the Credit Union’s online application and authentication process, a joint account includes rights of survivorship. This means that when one owner dies, all sums in the account will pass to the surviving owner(s). For a joint account without rights of survivorship, the deceased owner’s interest passes to his or her estate. A surviving owner’s interest is subject to the Credit Union’s statutory lien for the deceased owner’s obligations and to any security interest or pledge granted by a deceased owner, even if a surviving owner did not consent to it.
- Control of Joint Accounts. Any owner is authorized and deemed to act for any other owner(s) and may instruct us regarding transactions and other account matters. Each owner guarantees the signature or authenticated request of any other owner(s). Any owner may withdraw or transfer funds, pledge to us all or any part of the shares, or stop payment on items without the consent of the other owner(s). We have no duty to notify any owner(s) about any transaction. We reserve the right to require written consent of all owners for any change to or termination of an account. If we receive written notice of a dispute between owners or inconsistent instructions from them, we may suspend or terminate the account and require a court order or written consent from all owners in order to act.
- Joint Account Owner Liability. If an item deposited in a joint account is returned unpaid, a joint account is overdrawn, or if we do not receive final payment on a transaction, the owners, jointly and severally, are liable to us for any returned item, overdraft, or unpaid amount and for any related fees and charges, regardless of who initiated or benefited from the transaction. If any account owner is indebted to us, we may enforce our rights against any account of the indebted owner, including all funds in the joint account, regardless of who contributed the funds.
- POD/TRUST ACCOUNT DESIGNATIONS — A Payable on Death (POD) account or trust account designation is an instruction to the Credit Union that an individual or joint account so designated is payable to the owner(s) during his, her, or their lifetimes and, when the last account owner dies, is payable to all surviving POD or trust beneficiaries/payees. Unless state law provides for different ownership or as permitted and documented by us, the beneficiaries/payees will own the funds jointly in equal shares without rights of survivorship when there is more than one surviving beneficiary/payee. Any POD or trust beneficiary/payee designation shall not apply to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). We are not obligated to notify any beneficiary/payee of the existence of any account nor the vesting of the beneficiary/payee’s interest in any account, except as otherwise provided by law. This paragraph does not apply to an account held on behalf of or in the name of a trust.
- ACCOUNTS FOR MINORS — We may require any account established by a minor to be a joint account with an owner who has reached the age of majority under state law and who shall be jointly and severally liable to us for any returned item, overdraft, or unpaid amount on such account and for any related fees and charges. We may pay funds directly to the minor without regard to his or her minority. Unless a guardian or parent is an account owner, the guardian or parent shall not have any account access rights. We have no duty to inquire about the use or purpose of any transaction except as required by applicable law. We may not change the account status when the minor reaches the age of majority unless the change is authorized in writing by all account owners.
- UNIFORM TRANSFERS/GIFTS TO MINORS ACCOUNT — A Uniform Transfers to Minors Account (UTMA) is an individual account created by a custodian who deposits funds as an irrevocable gift to a minor. The minor to whom the gift is made is the beneficiary of the custodial property in the account. The custodian has possession and control of the account for the exclusive right and benefit of the minor and, barring a court order otherwise, is the only party authorized to make deposits, withdrawals, or close the account. We have no duty to inquire about the use or purpose of any transaction except as required by applicable law. If the custodian dies, we may suspend the account until we receive instructions from any person authorized by law to withdraw funds or a court order authorizing withdrawals. The account will terminate and be distributed in accordance with applicable law.
- AGENCY DESIGNATION ON AN ACCOUNT — An agency designation on an account is an instruction to us that the owner authorizes another person to make transactions as agent for the account owner regarding the accounts designated. An agent has no ownership interest in the account(s) or credit union voting rights. We have no duty to inquire about the use or purpose of any transaction made by the agent except as required by applicable law.
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DEPOSIT OF FUNDS REQUIREMENTS — Funds may be deposited to any account, in any manner approved by the Credit Union in accordance
with the requirements set forth in the Truth-in-Savings Disclosure. Deposits made by mail, at night depositories, or at unstaffed facilities are not our
responsibility until we receive them. We reserve the right to refuse or to return any deposit.
- Endorsements. We may accept transfers, checks, drafts, and other items for deposit into any of your accounts if they are made payable to, or to the order of, one or more account owners even if they are not endorsed by all payees. You authorize us to supply missing endorsements of any owners if we choose. If a check, draft, or item that is payable to two or more persons is ambiguous as to whether it is payable to either or both, we may process the check, draft, or item as though it is payable to either person. If an insurance, government, or other check or draft requires an endorsement, we may require endorsement as set forth on the item. Endorsements must be made on the back of the check or draft within 1½ inches of the top edge, although we may accept endorsements outside this space. However, any loss we incur from a delay or processing error resulting from an irregular endorsement or other markings by you or any prior endorser will be your responsibility. If we offer a remote deposit capture service and you have been approved to use the service to make deposits to your account, you agree that, prior to transmitting check or draft images, you will restrictively endorse each original check or draft in accordance with any other agreement with us that governs this service.
- Collection of Items. We act only as your agent and we are not responsible for handling items for deposit or collection beyond the exercise of ordinary care. We are not liable for the loss of an item in transit or the negligence of any correspondent. Each correspondent will only be liable for its own negligence. We may send any item for collection. Items drawn on an institution located outside the United States are handled on a collection basis only. You waive any notice of nonpayment, dishonor, or protest regarding items we purchase or receive for credit or collection to your account. We reserve the right to pursue collection of previously dishonored items at any time, including giving a payor financial institution extra time beyond any midnight deadline limits.
- Restrictive Legends. Some checks and drafts contain restrictive legends or similar limitations on the front of the item. Examples of restrictive legends include “two signatures required,” “void after 60 days,” and “not valid over $500.00.” We are not liable for payment of any check or draft contrary to a restrictive legend or other limitation contained in or on the item unless we have specifically agreed in writing to the restriction or limitation.
- Final Payment. All checks, drafts, automated clearinghouse (ACH) transfers or other items credited to your account are provisional until we receive final payment. If final payment is not received, we may charge your account for the amount of such items and impose a returned item fee on your account. Any collection fees we incur may be charged to your account. We reserve the right to refuse or return any item or fund transfer.
- Direct Deposits. We may offer direct deposit services, including preauthorized deposits (e.g., payroll checks, Social Security or retirement checks, or other government checks) or preauthorized transfers from other accounts. You must authorize direct deposits or preauthorized transfers by completing a separate authorization document or process. You must notify us if you wish to cancel or change a direct deposit or preauthorized transfer. Any cancellation or change will become effective once we receive notice from you and have a reasonable period of time to act on your request. If your account is overdrawn, you authorize us to deduct the amount your account is overdrawn from any deposit, including deposits of government payments or benefits. If we are required to reimburse the U.S. Government for any benefit payment directly deposited into your account, we may deduct the amount returned from any of your accounts, unless prohibited by law.
- Crediting of Deposits. Deposits will be credited to your account on the day we consider them received as stated in our Funds Availability Policy Disclosure.
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ACCOUNT ACCESS —
- Authorized Signature. Your signature on the Account Card, or authentication and approval of your account, authorizes your account access. We will not be liable for refusing to honor any item or instruction if we believe the signature is not genuine. If you have authorized the use of a facsimile signature, we may honor any check or draft that appears to bear your facsimile signature, even if it was made by an unauthorized person. You authorize us to honor transactions initiated by a third person to whom you have given your account information, even if you do not authorize a particular transaction.
- Access Options. You may access your account(s) in any manner we permit including, for example, in person at one of our branch offices, at an ATM or point-of-sale device, or by mail, telephone, automatic transfer, internet access or mobile application. We may return as unpaid any check or draft drawn on a form we do not provide, and you are responsible for any losses, expenses or fees we incur as a result of handling such a check or draft. We have the right to review and approve any form of power of attorney and may restrict account withdrawals or transfers. We may refuse to honor a power of attorney if our refusal is conducted in accordance with applicable state law.
- Credit Union Examination. We may disregard any information on any check or draft other than the signature of the drawer, the amount of the item, and any magnetic encoding. You agree that we do not fail to exercise ordinary care in paying an item solely because our procedures do not provide for sight examination of items.
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FUND TRANSFERS — Funds transfers we permit that are subject to Article 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code, such as wire transfers, will be
subject to such provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted by the state where the main office of the Credit Union is located, except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement. ACH transfers are subject to Nacha rules. We may execute certain requests for fund transfers by Fedwire which
are subject to the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation J.
- Authorization for Transfers/Debiting of Accounts. You may make or order fund transfers to or from your account. We will debit your account for the amount of a fund transfer from your account and will charge your account for any fees related to the transfer.
- Right to Refuse to Make Transfers/Limitation of Liability. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, we reserve the right to refuse to execute any payment order to transfer funds to or from your account. We are not obligated to execute any payment order to transfer funds out of your account if the amount of the requested transfer plus applicable fees exceeds the available balance in your account. We are not liable for errors, delays, interruptions or transmission failures caused by third parties or circumstances beyond our control including mechanical, electronic or equipment failure. In addition, we will not be liable for consequential, special, punitive or indirect loss or damage you may incur in connection with funds transfers to or from your account.
- No Notice Required. We will not provide you with notice when funds transfers are credited to your account. You will receive notice of such credits on your account statements. You may contact us to determine whether a payment has been received.
- Interest Payments. If we fail to properly execute a payment order and such action results in a delay in payment to you, we will pay you dividends or interest, whichever applies to your account, for the period of delay as required by applicable law. You agree that the dividend or interest rate paid to you will be based on the lowest nominal dividend or interest rate we were paying on any account during that period.
- Provisional Credit for ACH Transactions. We may provisionally credit your account for an ACH transfer before we receive final settlement. If we do not receive final settlement, we may reverse the provisional credit or require you to refund us the amount provisionally credited to your account, and the party originating the transfer will not be considered to have paid you.
- Payment Order Processing and Cut-off Times. Payment orders we accept will be executed within a reasonable time of receipt. Unless we have agreed otherwise in writing, a payment order may not necessarily be executed on the date it is received or on a particular date you specify. Cut-off times may apply to the receipt, execution and processing of funds transfers, payment orders, cancellations, and amendments. Funds transfers, payment orders, cancellations, and amendments received after a cut-off time may be treated as having been received on the next funds transfer business day. Information about any cut-off times is available upon request. From time to time, we may need to temporarily suspend processing of a transaction for greater scrutiny or verification in accordance with applicable law. This action may affect settlement or availability of the transaction.
- Identifying Information. If your payment order identifies the recipient and any financial institution by name and account or other identifying number, the Credit Union and any other financial institutions facilitating the transfer may rely strictly on the account or other identifying number, even if the number identifies a different person or financial institution
- Amendments and Cancellations of Payment Orders. Any account owner may amend or cancel a payment order regardless of whether that person initiated the order. We may refuse requests to amend or cancel a payment order that we believe will expose the Credit Union to liability or loss. Any request to amend or cancel a payment order that we accept will be processed within a reasonable time after it is received. You agree to hold us harmless from and indemnify us for all losses and expenses resulting from any actual or attempted amendment or cancellation of a payment order.
- Security Procedures. We may require you to follow a security procedure to execute, amend or cancel a payment order so that we may verify the authenticity of the order, amendment or cancellation. You agree that the security procedure established by separate agreement between you and the Credit Union is commercially reasonable. If you refuse to follow a commercially reasonable security procedure that we offer, you agree to be bound by any payment order, whether authorized or not, that is issued in your name and accepted by us in good faith in accordance with the security procedure you choose.
- Duty to Report Unauthorized or Erroneous Fund Transfers. You must exercise ordinary care to identify and report unauthorized or erroneous funds transfers on your account. You agree that you will review your account(s) and periodic statement(s). You further agree you will notify us of any unauthorized or erroneous transfers within the time frames described in the "Statements" section of this Agreement.
- Recording Telephone Requests. You agree that we may record payment order, amendment and cancellation requests as permitted by applicable law.
- Remittance Transfers. A "remittance transfer" is an electronic transfer of funds of more than $15.00 which is requested by a sender and sent to a designated recipient in a foreign country by a remittance transfer provider. If we act as a remittance transfer provider and conduct a remittance transfer(s) on your behalf, the transaction(s) will be governed by 12 C.F.R. part 1005, subpart B - Requirements for remittance transfers. Terms applicable to such transactions may vary from those disclosed herein and will be disclosed to you at the time such services are requested and rendered in accordance with applicable law.
- ACCOUNT RATES AND FEES — We pay account earnings and assess fees against your account as set forth in the Truth-in-Savings Disclosure and Schedule of Fees and Charges. We may change the Truth-in-Savings Disclosure or Schedule of Fees and Charges at any time and will notify you as required by law.
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TRANSACTION LIMITATIONS —
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Withdrawal Restrictions. We will pay checks or drafts, permit withdrawals, and make transfers from the available balance in your account.
The availability of funds in your account may be delayed as described in our Funds Availability Policy Disclosure. We may also pay checks or
drafts, permit withdrawals, and make transfers when you have an insufficient available balance in your account if you have established an overdraft
protection plan or, if you do not have such a plan with us, in accordance with our overdraft payment policy.
We may refuse to allow a withdrawal in some situations and will advise you accordingly if, for example: (1) there is a dispute between account owners (unless a court has ordered the Credit Union to allow the withdrawal); (2) a legal garnishment or attachment is served; (3) the account secures any obligation to us; (4) required documentation has not been presented; (5) you fail to repay a credit union loan on time; or (6) we deem it necessary for any other reason allowed by applicable law. We may require you to give written notice of 7 to 60 days before any intended withdrawals. - Transfer Limitations. We may limit the dollar amount or the number of transfers from your account. Please consult your Truth-in-Savings Disclosure or your Electronic Fund Transfers Agreement and Disclosure.
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Withdrawal Restrictions. We will pay checks or drafts, permit withdrawals, and make transfers from the available balance in your account.
The availability of funds in your account may be delayed as described in our Funds Availability Policy Disclosure. We may also pay checks or
drafts, permit withdrawals, and make transfers when you have an insufficient available balance in your account if you have established an overdraft
protection plan or, if you do not have such a plan with us, in accordance with our overdraft payment policy.
- CERTIFICATE ACCOUNTS — Any term share, share certificate, time deposit or certificate of deposit account (certificate account), whichever we offer as allowed by applicable federal or state law, is subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Truth-in-Savings Disclosure, the Account Receipt for each account, and any other documents we provide for the account, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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OVERDRAFTS —
- Payment of Overdrafts. If, on any day, the available balance in your share or deposit account is not sufficient to pay the full amount of a
check, draft, transaction, or other item, plus any applicable fee, that is posted to your account, we may return the item or pay it, as described below.
The Credit Union’s determination of an insufficient available account balance may be made at any time between presentation and the Credit
Union’s midnight deadline with only one review of the account required. We do not have to notify you if your account does not have a sufficient
available balance in order to pay an item. Your account may be subject to a fee for each item regardless of whether we pay or return the item. We
may charge a fee each time an item is submitted or resubmitted for payment; therefore, you may be assessed more than one fee as a result of a
returned item and resubmission(s) of the returned item.
If we offer standard overdraft services, this service allows us to authorize payment for the following types of transactions regardless of whether your share or deposit account has sufficient funds: (1) share drafts/checks and other transactions made using your checking account, except as otherwise described below; (2) automatic bill payments; (3) and ACH transactions. For ATM and one-time debit card transactions, you must affirmatively consent to such coverage. Without your consent, the Credit Union may not authorize and pay an ATM or one-time debit card transaction that will result in insufficient funds in your account. If you have established a service linking your share or deposit account with other individual or joint accounts, you authorize us to transfer funds from another account of yours to cover an insufficient item, including transfers from a share or deposit account, an overdraft line-of-credit account, or other account you so designate. Services and fees for these transactions are shown in the document the Credit Union uses to capture your affirmative consent and the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
Except as otherwise agreed in writing, if we exercise our right to use our discretion to pay such items that result in an insufficiency of funds in your account, we do not agree to pay them in the future and may discontinue coverage at any time without notice. If we pay these items or impose a fee that results in insufficient funds in your account, you agree to pay the insufficient amount, including the fee assessed by us, in accordance with our standard overdraft services or any other service you may have authorized with us or, if you do not have such protections with us, in accordance with any overdraft payment policy we have, as applicable. - Order of Payments. Checks, drafts, transactions, and other items may not be processed in the order that you make them or in the order that we receive them. We may, at our discretion, pay a check, draft, or item, and execute other transactions on your account in any order we choose. The order in which we process checks, drafts, or items, and execute other transactions on your account may affect the total amount of overdraft fees that may be charged to your account. Please contact us if you have questions about how we pay checks or drafts and process transfers and withdrawals.
- Payment of Overdrafts. If, on any day, the available balance in your share or deposit account is not sufficient to pay the full amount of a
check, draft, transaction, or other item, plus any applicable fee, that is posted to your account, we may return the item or pay it, as described below.
The Credit Union’s determination of an insufficient available account balance may be made at any time between presentation and the Credit
Union’s midnight deadline with only one review of the account required. We do not have to notify you if your account does not have a sufficient
available balance in order to pay an item. Your account may be subject to a fee for each item regardless of whether we pay or return the item. We
may charge a fee each time an item is submitted or resubmitted for payment; therefore, you may be assessed more than one fee as a result of a
returned item and resubmission(s) of the returned item.
- POSTDATED AND STALEDATED CHECKS OR DRAFTS — You agree not to issue any check or draft that is payable on a future date (postdated). If you do draw or issue a check or draft that is postdated and we pay it before that date, you agree that we shall have no liability to you for such payment. You agree not to deposit checks, drafts, or other items before they are properly payable. We are not obligated to pay any check or draft drawn on your account that is presented more than six months past its date; however, if the check or draft is paid against your account, we will have no liability for such payment.
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STOP PAYMENT ORDERS —
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Stop Payment Order Request. Any owner may request a stop payment order on any check or draft drawn on the owner’s account. To be
binding, the order must accurately describe the check or draft, including the exact account number, check or draft number, and amount of the check
or draft. This exact information is necessary for the Credit Union to identify the check or draft. If we receive incorrect or incomplete information, we
will not be responsible for failing to stop payment on the check or draft. In addition, we must receive sufficient advance notice of the stop payment
order to allow us a reasonable opportunity to act on it. If we recredit your account after paying a check or draft over a valid and timely stop payment
order, you agree to sign a statement describing the dispute with the payee, to assign to us all of your rights against the payee or other holders of
the check or draft, and to assist us in any legal action.
Stop payment orders for preauthorized debit transactions from your account are governed by Regulation E. Please refer to the Electronic Fund Transfers Agreement and Disclosure for rules regarding stop payments on preauthorized debit transactions. - Duration of Order. You may make an oral stop payment order which will lapse within 14 calendar days unless you confirm it in writing, or in a record if allowed by applicable law, within that time. A written stop payment order is effective for six months and may be renewed for additional sixmonth periods by submitting a renewal request in writing, or in a record if allowed by applicable law, before the stop payment order then in effect expires. We do not have to notify you when a stop payment order expires.
- Liability. Fees for stop payment orders are set forth in the Truth-in-Savings Disclosure or Schedule of Fees and Charges. You may not stop payment on any certified check, cashier’s check, teller’s check, or any other check, draft, or payment guaranteed by us. Although payment of an item may be stopped, you may remain liable to any item holder, including us. You have the burden of establishing the fact and amount of loss resulting from the payment of an item contrary to a binding stop payment order. You agree to indemnify and hold the Credit Union harmless from all costs, including attorney’s fees and all damages or claims related to our refusal to pay an item, as well as claims of any joint account owner or of any payee or endorsee for failing to stop payment of an item as a result of incorrect information provided by you.
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Stop Payment Order Request. Any owner may request a stop payment order on any check or draft drawn on the owner’s account. To be
binding, the order must accurately describe the check or draft, including the exact account number, check or draft number, and amount of the check
or draft. This exact information is necessary for the Credit Union to identify the check or draft. If we receive incorrect or incomplete information, we
will not be responsible for failing to stop payment on the check or draft. In addition, we must receive sufficient advance notice of the stop payment
order to allow us a reasonable opportunity to act on it. If we recredit your account after paying a check or draft over a valid and timely stop payment
order, you agree to sign a statement describing the dispute with the payee, to assign to us all of your rights against the payee or other holders of
the check or draft, and to assist us in any legal action.
- CREDIT UNION LIABILITY — If we do not properly complete a transaction according to this Agreement, we will be liable for your losses or damages not to exceed the amount of the transaction, except as otherwise provided by law. We will not be liable if, for example: (1) your account contains an insufficient available balance for the transaction; (2) circumstances beyond our control prevent the transaction; (3) your loss is caused by your or another financial institution’s negligence; or (4) your account funds are subject to legal process or other claim. We will not be liable for consequential damages, except liability for wrongful dishonor. We are not responsible for a check or draft that is paid by us if we acted in a commercially reasonable manner and exercised ordinary care. We exercise ordinary care if our actions or nonactions are consistent with applicable state law, Federal Reserve regulations and operating letters, clearinghouse rules, and general financial institution practices followed in the area we serve. You grant us the right, in making payments of deposited funds, to rely exclusively on the form of the account and the terms of this Agreement. Any conflict regarding what you and our employees say or write will be resolved by reference to this Agreement.
- CHECKS OR DRAFTS PRESENTED FOR PAYMENT IN PERSON — We may refuse to accept any check or draft drawn on your account that is presented for payment in person. Such refusal shall not constitute a wrongful dishonor of the check or draft, and we shall have no liability for refusing payment. If we agree to cash a check or draft that is presented for payment in person, we may require the presenter to pay a fee. Any applicable check or draft cashing fees are stated in the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
- REMOTELY CREATED CHECKS OR DRAFTS — For purposes of this paragraph, “account” means a transaction account, credit account, or any other account on which checks or drafts may be drawn. A remotely created check or draft is a check or draft created by someone other than the person on whose account the check or draft is drawn. A remotely created check or draft is generally created by a third-party payee as authorized by the owner of the account on which the check or draft is drawn. Authorization is usually made over the telephone or through online communication. The owner of the account does not sign a remotely created check or draft. In place of the owner’s signature, the remotely created check or draft usually bears a statement that the owner authorized the check or draft or bears the owner’s printed or typed name. If you authorize a third party to draw a remotely created check or draft against your account, you may not later revoke or change your authorization. It is your responsibility to resolve any authorization issues directly with the third party. We are not required to credit your account and may charge against your account any remotely created check or draft for which the third party has proof of your authorization.
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PLEDGE/STATUTORY LIEN — Unless prohibited by law, you pledge and grant as security for all obligations you may
have now or in the future, except obligations secured by your principal residence, all shares and dividends and all deposits and interest, if any, in all
accounts you have with us now and in the future. If you pledge a specific dollar amount in your account(s) for a loan, we will freeze the funds in your
account(s) to the extent of the outstanding balance of the loan or, if greater, the amount of the pledge if the loan is a revolving loan. Otherwise, funds in
your pledged account(s) may be withdrawn unless you are in default. You agree we have the right to offset funds in any of your accounts against the
obligation owed to us. Federal or state law (depending upon whether we have a federal or state charter) gives us a lien on all shares and dividends and
all deposits and interest, if any, in accounts you have with us now and in the future. Except as limited by federal or state law, the statutory lien gives us the right to apply the balance of all your accounts to any obligation on which you are in default. After you are in default, we may exercise our statutory
lien rights without further notice to you.
Your pledge and our statutory lien rights will allow us to apply the funds in your account(s) to what you owe when you are in default, except as limited by federal or state law. If we do not apply or offset the funds in your account(s) to satisfy your obligation, we may place an administrative freeze on your account(s) in order to protect our statutory lien rights and may apply or offset the funds in your account(s) to the amount you owe us at a later time. The statutory lien and your pledge do not apply to any Individual Retirement Account or any other account that would lose special tax treatment under federal or state law if given as security. By not enforcing our right to apply or offset funds in your account(s) to your obligations that are in default, we do not waive our right to enforce these rights at a later time. - LEGAL PROCESS — If any legal action is brought against your account, we may pay out funds according to the terms of the action or refuse any payout until the dispute is resolved, as permitted by law. Any expenses or attorney fees we incur responding to legal process may be charged against your account without notice, unless prohibited by law. Any legal process against your account is subject to our lien and security interest.
- ACCOUNT INFORMATION — Upon request, we will give you the name and address of each agency from which we obtain a credit report regarding your account. We agree not to disclose account information to third parties except when: (1) it is necessary to complete a transaction; (2) the third party seeks to verify the existence or condition of your account in accordance with applicable law; (3) such disclosure complies with the law or a government agency or court order; or (4) you give us written permission.
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NOTICES —
- Name or Address Changes. You are responsible for notifying us of any name or address change. The Credit Union is only required to attempt to communicate with you at the most recent address you have provided to us. We may require all name and address changes to be provided in writing. If we attempt to locate you, we may impose a service fee as set forth in the Truth-in-Savings Disclosure or Schedule of Fees and Charges.
- Notice of Amendments. Except as prohibited by applicable law, we may amend this Agreement by adding, removing, or changing terms at any time. We will notify you, in a manner we deem appropriate under the circumstances, of any changes in terms, rates or fees as required by law. We reserve the right to waive any terms of this Agreement. Any such waiver shall not affect our right to future enforcement.
- Effect of Notice. Any written notice you give us is effective when we receive it. Any written notice we give to you is effective when it is provided electronically or is deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and addressed to you at your statement mailing address, and will be effective whether or not received by you. Notice to any account owner is considered notice to all account owners.
- Electronic Notices. If you have agreed to receive notices electronically, we may send you notices electronically and discontinue mailing paper notices to you until you notify us that you wish to reinstate receiving paper notices.
- TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND BACKUP WITHHOLDING —You agree that we may withhold taxes from any dividends or interest earned on your account as required by federal, state or local law or regulations. Your failure to furnish a correct Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or meet other requirements may result in backup withholding. If your account is subject to backup withholding, we must withhold and pay to the Internal Revenue Service a percentage of dividends, interest, and certain other payments. If you fail to provide your TIN within a reasonable time we may suspend opening your account or close your account and return the balance to you, less any applicable service fees.
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STATEMENTS —
- Contents. If we provide a periodic statement for your account, you will receive a periodic statement that shows the transactions and activity on your account during the statement period as required by applicable law. If a periodic statement is provided, you agree that only one statement is necessary for joint accounts. For share draft or checking accounts, you understand and agree that your original check or draft, when paid, becomes property of the Credit Union and may not be returned to you, but copies of the check or draft may be retained by us or by payable-through financial institutions and may be made available upon your request. You understand and agree that statements are made available to you on the date they are mailed to you or, if you have requested, on the date they are made available to you electronically. You also understand and agree that checks, drafts, or copies thereof are made available to you on the date the statement is mailed to you or is provided to you electronically, even if the checks or drafts do not accompany the statement.
- Examination. You are responsible for promptly examining each statement upon receiving it and reporting any irregularities to us. If you fail to
report any irregularities such as forged, altered, unauthorized, unsigned, or otherwise fraudulent items drawn on your account, erroneous payments
or transactions, or other discrepancies that are reflected on your statement within 33 days of the date we sent or otherwise provided the statement
to you, we will not be responsible for your loss. We also will not be liable for any items that are forged or altered in a manner not detectable by a
reasonable person, including the unauthorized use of facsimile signature equipment.
Unauthorized electronic fund transfers governed by Regulation E are subject to different reporting periods. Please refer to the Electronic Fund Transfers Agreement and Disclosure for reporting requirements pertaining to electronic fund transfers. - Notice to Credit Union. You agree that the Credit Union’s retention of checks or drafts does not alter or waive your responsibility to examine your statements or the time limit for notifying us of any errors. The statement will be considered correct for all purposes, and we will not be liable for any payment made or charge to your account unless you notify us in writing within the above time limit for notifying us of any errors. If you fail to receive a periodic statement, you agree to notify us within 14 days of the time you regularly receive a statement.
- Address. If we mail you a statement, we will send it to the last known address shown in our records. If you have requested to receive your statement electronically, we will send the statement or notice of statement availability to the last e-mail address shown in our records.
- INACTIVE ACCOUNTS — As allowed by applicable law, we may classify your account as inactive or dormant and assess a fee if you have not made any transactions in your account over a specified period of time. The period of inactivity, the fee for servicing an inactive or dormant account, and the minimum balance required to avoid the service fee, if any, are set forth in our Schedule of Fees and Charges. You authorize us to transfer funds from another account of yours to cover any service fees, if applicable. To the extent allowed by law, we reserve the right to transfer the account funds to an account payable or reserve account and to suspend any further account statements. If a deposit or withdrawal has not been made on the account and we have had no other sufficient contact with you within the period specified by state law, the account will then be presumed to be abandoned. Funds in abandoned accounts will be reported and remitted in accordance with state law. Once funds have been turned over to the state, we have no further liability to you for such funds. If you choose to reclaim such funds, you must apply to the appropriate state agency.
- SPECIAL ACCOUNT INSTRUCTIONS — You may request that we facilitate certain trust, will, or court-ordered account arrangements. However, because we do not give legal advice, we cannot counsel you as to which account arrangement most appropriately meets the specific requirements of your trust, will, or court order. If you ask us to follow any instructions that we believe might expose us to claims, lawsuits, expenses, liabilities, or damages, whether directly or indirectly, we may refuse to follow your instructions or may require you to indemnify us or post a bond or provide us with other protection. We may require that account changes requested by you, or any account owner, such as adding or closing an account or service, be evidenced by a signed Account Change Card, Member Services Request, or other document which evidences a change to an account and accepted by us.
- TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT — We may terminate your account at any time without notice to you or may require you to close your account and apply for a new account if, for example: (1) there is a change in owners or authorized signers; (2) there has been a forgery or fraud reported or committed involving your account; (3) there is a dispute as to the ownership of the account or of the funds in the account; (4) any checks or drafts are lost or stolen; (5) there are excessive returned unpaid items not covered by an overdraft protection plan; (6) there has been any misrepresentation or any other abuse of any of your accounts; (7) we reasonably deem it necessary to prevent a loss to us; or (8) as otherwise permitted by law. You may terminate an individual account by giving written notice. We reserve the right to require the consent of all owners to terminate a joint account. We are not responsible for payment of any check, draft, withdrawal, transaction, or other item after your account is terminated; however, if we pay an item after termination, you agree to reimburse us.
- TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP; LIMITATION OF SERVICES - You may terminate your membership by giving us written notice or by withdrawing your minimum required membership share, if any, and closing all of your accounts. You may be expelled from membership for any reason allowed by applicable law. We may restrict account access and services without notice to you when your account is being misused; you have demonstrated conduct which is abusive in nature; as outlined in any policy we have adopted regarding restricting services; or as otherwise permitted by law.
- DEATH OF ACCOUNT OWNER — We may honor all transfer orders, withdrawals, deposits, and other transactions on an account until we know of a member's death or adjudication of incompetence. Even with such knowledge, we may continue to pay checks or drafts drawn on the deceased member’s account for a period of ten days after the member's death unless we receive instructions from any person claiming an interest in the account to stop payment on the checks or drafts. To the extent permitted by law, we may require anyone claiming funds from a deceased owner’s account to indemnify us for any losses we sustain if we honor that claim. This Agreement will be binding upon any heirs or legal representatives of any account owner.
- UNLAWFUL INTERNET GAMBLING AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES — You agree that you are not engaged in unlawful internet gambling or any other illegal activity. You agree that you will not use any of your accounts, access devices or services for unlawful internet gambling or other illegal activities. We may terminate your account relationship if you engage in unlawful internet gambling or other illegal activities.
- SEVERABILITY — If a court holds any portion of this Agreement to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be invalid or unenforceable and will continue in full force and effect. All headings are intended for reference only and are not to be construed as part of the Agreement.
- ENFORCEMENT — You are liable to us for any losses, costs, or expenses we incur resulting from your failure to follow this Agreement. You authorize us to deduct any such losses, costs, or expenses from your account without prior notice to you. If we bring a legal action to collect any amount due under or to enforce this Agreement, we shall be entitled, subject to applicable law, to payment of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, including fees on any appeal, bankruptcy proceedings, and any post judgment collection actions.
- GOVERNING LAW — This Agreement is governed by the following, as amended from time to time: the Credit Union’s bylaws; local clearinghouse and other payment system rules; federal laws and regulations, including applicable principles of contract law; and the laws and regulations of the state of Ohio. As permitted by applicable law, you agree that any legal action regarding this Agreement shall be brought in the county in which the Credit Union is located.
- NEGATIVE INFORMATION NOTICE — We may report information about your loan, share, or deposit accounts to credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your accounts may be reflected in your credit report.
- MONITORING AND RECORDING COMMUNICATIONS — We may monitor and record communications between you and us, including telephone conversations, electronic messages, electronic records, or other data transmissions that affect your accounts or other products and services. Except as otherwise prohibited by applicable law, you agree we may monitor and record such communications without your approval or further notice to you.
- CONSENT TO CONTACT — By signing or otherwise authenticating an Account Card, you agree we and/or our third-party providers, including debt
collectors, may contact you by telephone call, text message, or voicemail transmission at any telephone number associated with your account, including
wireless telephone numbers (i.e. cell phone numbers) which could result in charges to you, in order to service your account or collect any amounts owed
to us, excluding any contacts for advertising and telemarketing purposes as prescribed by law. You further agree methods of contact may include use of
pre-recorded or artificial voice messages, and/or use of an automatic dialing device. You may withdraw the consent to be contacted on your wireless
telephone number(s) at any time by providing written notice to us at 575 White Pond Dr STE E Akron OH 44320, by email to [email protected] or by
any other reasonable means. If you have provided a wireless telephone number(s) on or in connection with any account, you represent and agree you
are the wireless subscriber or customary user with respect to the wireless telephone number(s) provided and have the authority to give this consent.
Furthermore, you agree to notify us of any change to the wireless telephone number(s) which you have provided to us.
In order to help mitigate harm to you and your account, we may contact you on any telephone number associated with your account, including a wireless telephone number (i.e. cell phone number), to deliver to you any messages related to suspected or actual fraudulent activity on your account, data security breaches or identity theft following a data breach, money transfers or any other exigent messages permitted by applicable law. These contacts will not contain any telemarketing, cross-marketing, solicitation, advertising, or debt collection message of any kind. The contacts will be concise and limited in frequency as required by law. You will have an opportunity to opt-out of such communications at the time of delivery. - BINDING ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER — RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES BY ARBITRATION: THIS SECTION CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR ACCOUNTS AND
ALL RELATED SERVICES. IT PROVIDES THAT EITHER YOU OR WE CAN REQUIRE THAT ANY DISPUTES BE RESOLVED BY BINDING
ARBITRATION. ARBITRATION REPLACES THE RIGHT TO GO TO COURT, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND THE RIGHT TO
PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION OR SIMILAR PROCEEDING. IN ARBITRATION, THE DISPUTE IS SUBMITTED TO A NEUTRAL PARTY, AN
ARBITRATOR, INSTEAD OF A JUDGE OR JURY. ARBITRATION PROCEDURES MAY BE MORE LIMITED THAN RULES APPLICABLE IN COURT.
Agreement to Arbitrate Disputes.
Either you or we may elect, without the other’s consent, to require that any dispute between us concerning your accounts and the services related to your accounts be resolved by binding arbitration, except for those disputes specifically excluded below.
This arbitration agreement is entered into pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1 – 16 (the “FAA”).
Disputes Covered by Arbitration.Claims or disputes between you and us arising out of or relating to your Account(s), transactions involving your account(s) and any related service with us are subject to arbitration. Any claims or disputes arising from or relating to this agreement, any prior account agreement between us, or the advertising, the application for, or the approval or establishment of your account are also included. Claims are subject to arbitration, regardless of what theory they are based on or whether they seek legal or equitable remedies. Arbitration applies to any and all such claims or disputes, whether they arose in the past, may currently exist or may arise in the future. Disputes also include claims or disputes relating to the enforceability, validity, scope or interpretation of any of these arbitration provisions. Any questions about whether disputes are subject to arbitration shall be resolved by interpreting this arbitration provision in the broadest way the law will allow it to be enforced. All such disputes are referred to in this section as “Claims”.
An exception to arbitration of claims is that both you and we have the right to pursue a claim in a small claims court instead of arbitration, if the claim is in that court’s jurisdiction and proceeds on an individual basis. Claims or disputes arising from your status as a borrower under any loan agreement with the Credit Union are also excluded from this Resolution of Disputes by Arbitration provision.
No Class Action or Joinder of Parties.YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU AND WE AGREE THAT NO CLASS ACTION, CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION, PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION, OR OTHER PROCEEDING WHERE SOMEONE ACTS IN A REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY, MAY BE PURSUED IN ANY ARBITRATION OR IN ANY COURT PROCEEDING, REGARDLESS OF WHEN THE CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION AROSE OR ACCRUED, OR WHEN THE ALLEGATIONS OR FACTS UNDERLYING THE CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION OCCURRED. Unless mutually agreed to by you and us, claims of two or more persons may not be joined, consolidated, or otherwise brought together in the same arbitration (unless those persons are joint account holders or beneficiaries on your account and/or related accounts, or parties to a single transaction or related transaction), whether or not the claim may have been assigned.
Right to Reject this Resolution of Disputes by Arbitration provision.You have the right to opt out of this agreement to arbitrate if you tell us within 30 days of the date a notice of this Arbitration Provision being added to the Membership Agreement was placed in the mail or email to the address you provided, if applicable, or within 30 days of our first sending or offering to you or your joint accountholder a copy of our Membership Agreement with any Arbitration Provision in it, whichever is sooner. To opt out, send us written notice that you reject the Resolution of Disputes by Arbitration provision, including your name as listed on your account and your account number to the following address:
FirstEnergy Family Credit Union
575 White Pond Drive Suite E
Akron OH 44320-1184Otherwise, this agreement to arbitrate will apply without limitation, regardless of whether 1) your account is closed; 2) you pay us in full any outstanding debt you owe; or 3) you file for bankruptcy.
The Arbitration Proceeding.The arbitration must be filed with one of the following neutral arbitration forums: American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) or JAMS. For AAA, the arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the AAA Consumer Due Process Protocol in concert with the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules. For JAMS, the arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures. If there is a conflict between a particular provision of the AAA or JAMS Rules and this arbitration provision and/or this agreement, this arbitration provision and this agreement will control. If JAMS or the AAA is unable or unwilling to handle the claim for any reason, then the matter shall be arbitrated by a neutral arbitrator selected by agreement of the parties (or, if the parties cannot agree, selected by a court in accordance with the FAA). The neutral arbitrator selected by the parties or the court shall apply the Federal Rules of Evidence and the Federal Rules of Procedure concerning discovery, except that the above class action waiver is specifically enforceable notwithstanding any Federal Rule of Procedure to the contrary.
Costs.The party initiating the arbitration shall pay the initial filing fee. If you file the arbitration and an award is rendered in your favor, we will reimburse you for your filing fee. If there is a hearing, we will pay the fees and costs of the arbitration for the first day of that hearing. All other fees and costs will be allocated in accordance with the rules of the arbitration forum. However, we will advance or reimburse filing and other fees if the arbitrator rules that you cannot afford to pay them or finds other good cause for requiring us to do so, or if you ask us in writing and we determine there is good reason for doing so. Each party shall bear the expense of their respective attorneys, experts, and witnesses and other expenses, regardless of who prevails, but a party may recover any or all costs and expenses from another party if the arbitrator, applying applicable law, so determines.
Right to Resort to Provisional Remedies Preserved.Nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or constrain our right to resort to self-help remedies, such as the right of set-off or the right to restrain funds in an account, to interplead funds in the event of a dispute, to exercise any security interest or lien we may hold in property, or to comply with legal process, or to obtain provisional remedies such as injunctive relief, attachment, or garnishment by a court having appropriate jurisdiction; provided, however, that you or we may elect to arbitrate any dispute related to such provisional remedies.
Severability, Survival.These arbitration provisions shall survive (a) termination or changes to your accounts or any related services; (b) the bankruptcy of any party; and (c) the transfer or assignment of your accounts or any related services. If any portion of this Resolution of Disputes by Arbitration provision is deemed invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Resolution of Disputes by Arbitration provision shall remain in force. No portion of this Resolution of Disputes by Arbitration provision may be amended, severed, or waived absent a written agreement between you and us.