Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (population 55,000 and about 100,000 in surrounding areas) doesn’t have a field office. Nearest one is 45 miles away in Spokane, so almost a 100 mile trip, two hours in the car, and $20 in gas. Yuck.
“the local people were useless” — that is my expectation if I go there.
“the local people were useless”
To be fair, the situation was complex. Step son died in Costa Rica. Left his housekeeper a decent sum of money in his life insurance. Life insurance didn’t pay for a year and a half, which meant the housekeeper was owed the money plus interest, which itself was a large sum. Insurance couldn’t pay the claim without a SSN# or an EIN#. Problem was the housekeeper was Nicaraguan and had never set foot in the U.S.
We ended up having to hire a lawyer to get the money to her.