The Cost of Loyalty: How Truist Bank Turned Its Back on Me During My Hardest Time

There’s a painful irony in the fact that when I needed my bank the most, it became my greatest adversary.

As a small business owner, I’ve always understood the weight of responsibility—toward my employees, my clients, and my commitments. So in October 2020, when I took out an SBA-backed commercial mortgage from Truist Bank to purchase an office condo in Laurel, Maryland, I did so with the full intent to build a foundation for long-term success.

For a time, things went according to plan. My business operated smoothly, and I made every mortgage payment on time. But life, as it often does, took a tragic and unexpected turn. Mid 2022, my  business partner and support system passed away , leaving me a single parent with children and a struggling business.

Even amid this deep personal loss, I did everything in my power to meet my financial obligations. I was never more than 60 days late. I communicated my hardship to Truist, provided documentation, and continued paying as best as I could.

But in January 2025, despite having sufficient funds to bring my loan current, Truist blocked my access to make payments. I reached out multiple times to Tiffany Shaver, Vice President of Small Business Default Solutions, asking to pay the past-due amount and resume regular payments. I was prepared. I had the money. I was willing. But she denied my requests.

Even worse, Truist rejected payments transferred from my checking account—payments made through the same method I had used in the past. The account was essentially locked, and all attempts to cure the delinquency were ignored. Then came the loan acceleration and legal threats.

Truist’s attorney, Jessica Hepburn Sadler of Ballard Spahr LLP, contacted me with a threat of legal action if I didn’t allow an appraisal of my property—an appraisal they’re forcing me to pay for, adding to the financial strain. It became clear: Truist wasn’t interested in helping me resolve the issue. They want the property. They know it has appreciated in value, and rather than let me cure the default, they appear focused on foreclosure.

Let me be clear: I am not asking for debt forgiveness. I have the funds and have had them since January. All I’ve asked is to bring the loan current and resume my monthly payments—a fair and reasonable request under any standard of banking ethics.

Instead, Truist has:

• Blocked my account access and ability to pay;
• Rejected payments, even when funds were readily available;
• Accelerated the loan without just cause;
• Refused multiple good-faith offers to cure the delinquency;
• Sent legal threats while inflating costs through forced appraisals.

For a bank that advertises trust and community support, this behavior is anything but. It is predatory, punitive, and deeply damaging to small business owners like myself who are doing everything possible to recover from personal and professional hardship.

I share my story not just for justice—but to warn others. Truist Bank is not here to help. When the going gets tough, they don’t offer a hand—they tighten the noose.

I hope someone at Truist reconsiders this approach. I hope they begin to value partnership over property seizures. And I hope that by sharing this, others who have been treated similarly will find the strength to speak up.

Sincerely,
A small business owner who deserved better