Why Is A Hold Placed On Large Deposits?

I made a $12,000 deposit @ 3:45 PM, Thurs., 1/20/11 into a First Tenn Bank personal account that I've held since '94.  This deposit check was written on another personal checking account held at a solid Greeneville regional bank; to pay a First Tennessee Visa Card payment due on 1/23/11.  As always, I went online on the Fri., the 21st to pay my Visa payment via transfer but the money was 'not available', as tho I had never made a deposit.

I called a lady that I've been doing business with for years at the E Branch First Tennessee Bank and her first question was, "Did you deposit that here or downtown and before 4?"  Told her I happened to be downtown and knew it needed to be in by 4 PM to get into my account the next day so that is where I deposited it.  She said, "May I call you back?" and I said okay.  Waited a couple hours and called her so she said because made the deposit downtown that I needed to talk to them, so she would transfer me.  Also, informed me that $4,900 on HOLD til 1/24/11 and $7,000 on HOLD til 1/31/11.

The lady that answered the phone down at the Main Branch said the lady that actually PUT the HOLD on my deposit was at lunch and would be gone the FULL hour.  She asked if she could help me so I told her my problem and she wanted to know if I had $12,000 more to pay off my Visa card!!!!!!!  I was getting stressed at this point and asked, who has $12,000 extra just laying around?!!!!  She stated, "don't scream at me" but was as tho she wanted someone in the room with her to THINK I was screaming.  Then, she said that if I had brought a cashier's check from my other bank, there would not have been a HOLD in the first place.  Now the bank whose check was on hold is right beside the bank holding it!  I asked if there was somebody else to whom I could appeal and she said, you can hold for the Main St Branch Mgr.

He gets on the phone, I explain my problem and also, that I've made these personal banking deposits before with no problems what-so-ever at the E Branch on AJ Hwy.  With no humanity, he stated that several years ago the federal gov't changed the rules for HOLDS to be put on large deposits so that would include ALL large deposits.  Told him I felt as if $12,000 intended for a bank visa payment had been stolen from me.  I had already been on the First Tennessee Bank website and to the Question: Why is a hold placed on large deposits?  It answers:  On a case-by-case basis, a hold may be placed on deposits more than $5,000 to verify funds.  You get the picture but by this time, my blood pressure was up and I knew that I needed to get off the phone and fix my own problem but for sure, stay away from this bank, so I said, "Thanks so much, God Bless you" to which he said, "uh-huh", and hung up.

I then took just about all money out of my interest bearing acct to pay my VISA Bill.  This is not the first time that the main branch has rigidly refused to do what would be right for the customer on a 'case by case basis'; but this will definitely be the LAST.