bankintg without SS#

Close all bank accounts!
Refinance all of your loans without an SSN.
Pay off everything which bears the mark of the beast!
Try to live without a checking account for awhile and see how it feels.
Personally, I thought it felt GREAT! (Your mileage may vary)

You can do all of your payments on account using Postal Money Orders. They
only cost f$0.85, and can be issued for any amount up to f$800.00. I work
downtown, so it is no trouble to go to the Post Office on any given day.
(Your mileage may vary)

As a soccer referee, I get checks for my remuneration for personal services
rendered. I get them from all over the state. It is generally not a problem
to cash them, as I work downtown, and just about every bank in the state has
a branch within walking distance. (Your mileage may vary)

I always make an explicit reservation of rights above my endorsement, using
the phrase: "All Rights Reserved" (See U.C.C. 1-207) I do this to preserve
my right to a common law venue, rather than an equity venue should this
matter have to come before a court. I also do this to give proper and timely
notice to all concerned that I participate in this fraud under threat,
duress, and coersion; and that I exchange my labor for worthless government
securities under protest.

Some banks take exception to this. For instance, the downtown Branch Manager
of the local Central Fidelity Bank refuses to cash checks drawn upon their
bank if I make such a reservation of rights. They construe a reservation of
rights as a "restrictive endorsement", when a restrictive endorsement is only
if I make the check payable to a third party. The next time they do this, I
will file a verified complaint.

Anyway, it was Friday. I usually take my paycheck to the local Jefferson
National Bank, as they do not charge a service fee for cashing a payroll
check for local companies. This time, however, the teller who generally just
cashes them was not there, and the teller I used had to get approval. The
Assistant Vice President took exception to my reservation of rights and
refused to approve it. The conversation went like this:

Me: I have been coming here for over a year and making this reservation of
rights. Why is it a problem today?
AVP: That's a restrictive endorsement, and I do not have to authorize it.
You can deposit it if you like. Do you have an account?
Me: A restrictive endorsement is when I sign it over to a third party. This
is a reservation of rights. I do not have an account here. I come here
because you do not charge a service fee to cash these checks.
AVP: Why don't you just take it over to Crestar, then?
Me: I don't have an account there. The husband of one of your tellers is a
my wife's patient and I like to work with people that I know.
AVP: Where do you have an account?
Me: I don't have an account anywhere.
AVP: We would love to have your business. Would you like to open an account
here?
Me: You do not want to open an account for me, I assure you. I do not have
a social security number.
AVP: Everyone has a social security number.
Me: I am a citizen and not required to have one. Only aliens applying for
permanent residency are required to have one. For all others, it is a
voluntary application. I choose not to volunteer. I have a religious
objection to the inventorying of human flesh. (You should see people squirm
when they hear that. It's amazing the reaction they have when they realize
just how repugnant that seems.)
AVP: Everyone has a social security number. I canot open an account without
one.
Me: There is actually no reason for you to refuse to open an account for a
person such as me. Here, let me write down some citations of the law and you
can have someone in legal look them over and get back to me.

So I wrote down:
42 USC 405(c)(2)(B)(i) - SSN application requirements
26 USC 6041(a) and (c) - requires only name, address and amount
31 CFR 103.34 - bank requirement
26 CFR 301.6109-1(c) - ask for number only


She was totally amazed. She asked, "How can you just rattle that off?"
I replied, "You can imagine how many times per month I have to explain this."


I left her with that and decided to spend a few hours that weekend putting
together a package. All of it is available on the internet, go to my links
page to find the USC and CFR online.

Here is the letter I wrote and hand delivered the following Monday:
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--

Brad L. Barnhill
16th Judicial Circuit
109 Shale Place
Charlottesville, Virginia
Monday, 2 February 1998

L. Gayle Morris
Assistant Vice President &
Assistant Office Manager
Main Office - Lobby
P.O. Box 711
Charlottesville, Virginia

Dear Ms. Morris,

I am sure that you recall that I stopped by this past Friday to cash my
paycheck, as I normally do. You took exception to the manner in which I
reserve my rights without prejudice to anyone, using the explicit reservation
of "All Rights Reserved". I hope I recall correctly that you offered to help
me open an account.

I explained at that time that it seems very difficult for someone with my
convictions to even exist in today's society. Due to my faith, I am
prevented from participating in socialist government welfare programs such as
social security. You can find my objection to the inventorying of human
flesh at Revelations Chapter 13, verses 16 and 17 which state:

16 "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:"
17 "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name
of the beast, or the number of his name."
The above is the law my faith requires me to follow, but you seemed surprised
that man's laws would allow me to bear no such mark. I wrote down a couple
of citations for you and you told me that someone in legal would contact me
about their point of view. I was not surprised that no one called. You see,
I am quite used to being the hot potato on this issue.

Even though I am not a lawyer, I have read quite of bit of law, in order to
protect myself from those who would attempt to impose this sanction upon me.
So I will try and break it down for you, as I see no reason for me to have a
social security number, according to the laws of the United States.

First, look at the requirement for application at 42 USC 405(c)(2)(B)(i)
[Exhibit A]. I included the lead-in part of the section, to include
subsection (a), so you did not think I was hiding anything. On the third
page, please find (B)(i). Please notice that (I) aliens applying for
permanent residency are required to get an SSN in order to work in the United
States. For all others (II) it is voluntary in order to obtain benefits from
the federal government. As this is repugnant to my faith, I choose not to
volunteer. As a Citizen born in one of the states of the Union, I often
resent being treated as an alien. If you can see any other way for this law
to be construed such that I am required to apply, please show it to me.

Second, look at the regulations regarding the requirement for someone to have
an SSN for you to open an account at 31 CFR 103.34 [Exhibit B]. I included
the entire regulation. On the first page at (a)(1), you see that:

"it shall nevertheless not be deemed to be in violation of this section if
(i) it has made a reasonable effort to secure such identification, and (ii)
it maintains a list containing the names, addresses, and account numbers of
those persons from whom it has been unable to secure such identification, and
makes the names, addresses, and account numbers available to the Secretary as
directed by him."
This makes perfect sense if you change your mindset from one in which all
human flesh on the planet must be inventoried, to one which conforms with
both God's law and man's written law.

I am not required to have an SSN, so I do not have one. You are required to
ask for one, but that is all you are required to do, is to ask. You have
done so, and now are relieved of that duty. The fourth section of this
letter should make this very clear. You are lawfully allowed to open an
account for me, so long as you maintain a list on which my name, address, and
account number are to be found. If you can see any other way for this law to
be construed such that I am required to give to you something I do not have,
please show it to me.

Third, I will address the Internal Revenue Code. Under section 6041 [Exhibit
C], you are not even required to put a taxpayer identifying number on the
1099 you submit to the IRS for interest payments for your customers. If you
look carefully at subsections (a) and (c), you see no requirement for a
taxpayer id number, only a name, address, and amount. Under Section 6049
[Exhibit D], you will see in subsection (a)(2), the same requirement: name,
address, and amount. If you can see any other way for these laws to be
construed such that I am required to give to you something I do not have,
please show it to me.

Fourth, I will address the information return requirement of section 6109.
Please look at the regulation at 26 CFR 301.6109-1(c) [Exhibit D], on the
third page. Under the requirement to furnish another's number, you will see
that:

"When the person making the return, statement, or other document does not
know the number of the other person, and has complied with the request
provision of this paragraph, such person must sign an affidavit on the
transmittal document forwarding such returns, statements, or other documents
to the Internal Revenue Service, so stating."
I am forced to ask, however, what return will you be making? I have told you
that I will be opening a non-interest bearing account, so what is there to
report? I state for this record that I am prevented by my faith from
participating in usury, so I have no "interest" in an interest bearing
account anyway. (Get it? No "INTEREST?" Sorry.) Again, if you can see any
other way for these laws to be construed such that I am required to give to
you something I do not have, please show it to me.

I would like to point out, however, that even if I wished to participate in
usury, that I would still need no identifying number, as you can see from the
above laws. Anyone who tells you differently is quite mistaken. Why does it
appear that there is no absolute requirement for everyone to have a number?
Because there is no such requirement.

Again, you see the consistency of man's law with God's law, if you cast off
your preconceived notion that all human flesh on the planet must be
inventoried. The Lord has his own inventory, I assure you. He has no need
of any other. Should the day come when someone such as I must bear such a
mark, then I will know that the Time has come, and I will prepare for the
Rapture.

Should you or someone of authority in your company think that you have a
basis for refusing to do business with me, I demand to see it in writing.
Should you refuse, I would be within my Rights to file a complaint with the
Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division for your violation of Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act due to your discrimination based upon my deeply held
religious beliefs.

However, since it is not my place to judge your actions, I will not. The
Lord himself will judge you upon your actions in the time to come. I will
allow you to ask your conscience what you should do. My experience is that
people generally do what is easiest: They turn their face from me and shun
me. You can prove me wrong. I know that I personally would prefer that you
do what is right.

Sincerely,

/s/ Brad L. Barnhill

Brad L. Barnhill

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I called Ms. Morris on Wednesday and asked her what was the disposition of
the letter. She said that she had passed it on to legal, a Mr. Carlton
Gregory. I asked her if she had read the letter, and she replied that she
had "perused" it. I told her that I had written that letter especially for
her as she seemed to be genuinely sympathetic to my predicament. I told her
that I was disappointed that she had not done it justice. I thanked here and
told her I would give Mr. Gregory a call. She gave me the extension, and I
left a voice-mail for him to call me back.

He called back that afternoon. The discussion covered all of the aspects of
the letter. He told me that it would not be cost effective for the bank to
maintain a list of names and addresses for only a couple of accounts, and
that it was the bank's policy to not open accounts without a taxpayer id
number.

I asked him if his bank's policy should conform to the written laws of the
United States. I asked him if he thought discrimination against me for my
religious beliefs was appropriate.

He said that they were not refusing to do business with me, that I was
refusing to comply with bank policy.

I asked him how I could possibly conform with bank policy, as I did not have
an SSN to give him. I asked him if he was prepared to give the Justice
Department a lawful reason why his bank was discriminating against 100% of
the citizens who do not have a social security number. I told him that I had
said in the letter that I would not file a complaint should I be refused
service due to my religious beliefs but that it was becoming more and more
difficult to exist in today's society if I cannot even cash a check. Was I
supposed to refuse to take checks anymore?

I asked him to kick it upstairs, and let them know that I do not want to
cause legal problems for them, but that I was seriously considering it.

He told me that he would do so, and get back to me. I reminded him that I
wanted a written response.

The discussion was really quite pleasant. He even told me to call him
Carlton. I said that perhaps I could once we had broken bread.

Well looky what I got in the mail today:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jefferson National Bank

February 10, 1998

Mr. Brad L. Barnhill
109 Shale Place
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

Dear Mr. Barnhill:

I reviewed your letter of February 2, 1998 to Gayle Morris of this Bank.
>From your letter and my discussion with Ms. Morris, it appears that this Bank
refused to open a deposit account due to your declining to provide the staff
with a taxpayer identification number. You have been advised that, based on
Bank policy, staff are not permitted to open or maintain deposit accounts for
customer who do not provide the Bank with a taxpayer identification number.
You have asked that the Bank review the requirements in 31 CFR 103.34.

We are familiar with 31 CFR 103.34 as it is the basis for our Bank policy to
require a taxpayer identification for all deposit accounts. This Bank has
implemented a policy to not permit the opening or maintaining of deposit
accounts without our obtaining a taxpayer identification number within thirty
(30) days of the opening. Due to the large number of accounts the Bank opens
and maintains, the Bank decided that maintaining a list of accounts for which
staff had not obtained a taxpayer identification number would be more timely,
cumbersome, and costly than the business we might lose from those persons who
might decline to provide JNB with a taxpayer number.

After my discussion with you on February 4, 1998, I have inquired of
Jefferson and Wachovia management staff regarding your request for an
exception to the Bank's policy of requiring a taxpayer identification in
connection with

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Brad L. Barnhill
February 10, 1998
Page 2

the opening of an account. Since you indicated that you would not like to
open an account which would pay you interest income, the Bank will consent to
permit you to open a regular checking account that does not pay any interest.

In order to facilitate your opening of the account, I suggest that you
present a copy of this letter to the customer service representative who
assists you with the opening of a Jefferson checking account.

Should you have any questions, I can be reached at (804) 972-1217.

Sincerely,

/s/ Carlton S. Gregory

Carlton S. Gregory
Legal Officer

cc: L. Gayle Morris

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I will be going down to the branch tomorrow to open an account.
I will be keeping a very minimum balance in it,
the least amount I can afford to lose if the IRS comes a knockin'.

Caveat Emptor:
If your assets are in the hands of a third party, then they are not safe.
=============================================================
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better
than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask
not your counsel or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands of those
who feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you. May posterity forget
that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

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