Authorities mistakenly declare man dead - now he has to prove he's still alive
Created: 12/20/2022, 4:32 p.m
By: Julia Hawener
Jeffrey van Davis was pronounced dead in his wife's place four months ago.
© Screenshot YouTube/CEE Video Channel
Four months ago, an authority mistakenly declared Jeffrey van Davis, who lives on Lake Constance, dead - with serious consequences for the native American.
Überlingen – A few months ago, the American Jeffrey van Davis, who lives on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, received a letter of condolence from the US Consulate General – on his death.
The letter was addressed to his wife Christine Eva.
"At first I laughed, it was absurd," says the Überlingen filmmaker to
SWR
.
But then he was "really angry".
Because not he, but his German wife had died at the age of 73 in Friedrichshafen in August.
A mistake with serious consequences, reports BW24.
"Dear Ms. van Davis, we are sorry that your husband Jeffrey van Davis has died," said the US citizen, who lives in the Hödingen district, as stated in the letter from the consulate.
Upset and "pretty rude" he said he then called the authorities.
As it turned out, according to the
SWR
, the responsible registry office in Friedrichshafen had apparently mistakenly declared Jeffrey van Davis officially dead instead of his deceased wife four months ago.
No pension, no account, no passport: the authorities mistakenly declare a man from Lake Constance dead
After van Davis' supposed death, the responsible US consulate general was informed immediately, according to regulations, the city administration explained to
SWR
.
However, the town hall did not provide an explanation as to how the names could have been mixed up.
Although van Davis' case is rather unusual, it is still not the first of its kind: A senior citizen from Canada, for example, was wrongly declared dead twice.
And a woman from France also has to prove that she is still alive because of a mistake.
Van Davis has to experience first-hand what consequences such an official error can have.
Because one day when he is standing at an ATM and wants to withdraw money, he gets the following message instead of bills: "Your account has been blocked." As reported by
SWR
, the American was not informed in advance that the US authorities had ordered his account had been blocked.
Just as little as about the fact that his US passport is no longer valid and the payment of his US pension was stopped - because he was no longer registered as alive.
The native American has to prove that he is still alive
That's why Jeffrey van Davis now has to prove at all important points that he's still alive and entitled to insurance, a passport, his pension and a bank account.
At least the latter was released again very quickly after the employees of the Sparkasse had found the lively pensioner at the counter, the
SWR reports
.
However, the correction of the error does not proceed so smoothly in all cases.
Van Davis feared the same thing.
Despite all the problems caused by the wrong entry by the authority, the American-born "is no longer angry," he told
SWR
.
He understands that it was a human error that was not based on malicious or bad ulterior motives.
And it's not the first time that a mistake like this has happened in Germany.
As the
Rheinische Post
reports, in 2011 a 52-year-old North Frisian woman who actually only wanted to leave the church was declared dead by the registry office with a wrong mouse click.
