Legal advice in case of conflicts with DNB

Questioner

Dear lawyer, My story is not easy to explain, but it basically boils down to the fact that I have had a conflict with De Nederlandsche Bank that has been going on for years. Before my conflict arose, I was very proactive in raising any potential future problems with my investment (given its development at the time) at an early stage. I have done this with my Legal Expenses Insurance, with DNB, but also with other bodies such as the Ministry of Finance and the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets. With legal expenses insurance, proactive action by the insured is one of the conditions of the policy. However, that ultimately proved to be my undoing, because when more concrete facts emerged, I was no longer taken seriously (I felt like, "There goes that old whiner again!"). So, I can no longer rely on my legal expenses insurance (without outside help). At DNB, things weren't much different: I indicated early on that I saw problems with my investment and therefore submitted questions to DNB. This happened regularly during the ongoing dispute, but each time, questions were presented in a more current form. DNB never directly answered my crucial questions, but always beat around the bush. After some correspondence back and forth, DNB bluntly stated that they had provided me with sufficient information, and that, after so many (nonsensical) answers, they were no longer responding to my emails because there were no new facts! This, despite my initial questions still not being properly answered. I have repeatedly asked DNB for a personal meeting, as indicated in DNB's complaints procedure as a 'mandatory option', but they are not even accommodating me in that respect. The way I'm being treated by DNB is truly sad, especially considering this is a government agency that has the best interests of the Dutch people at heart; at least, as DNB tries to make clear on its website. The fact is that when it comes to money, almost all DNB employees think it's their own money, or that it would cost them their careers if DNB were to suffer a (justified) financial setback. My back is against the wall, so I'm throwing this ball to you. I'd like to file a lawsuit against DNB, but even my legal expenses insurance seems to be afraid of it, because it could obviously be expensive, and they don't want to take that risk. If I were to file a lawsuit on my own account, I don't know what my chances are and what it would ultimately cost me. I'd very much like to have a neutral perspective on my accumulated case; perhaps as a study project for a well-motivated law student, because the biggest problem now is that all the correspondence is no longer easily and quickly reviewed. If this were to lead to a convincing case against DNB, I could most likely convince my legal expenses insurance company. Who can tell me how I can still obtain my rights?

Questioner

Dear questioner, This site is intended to provide quick initial answers to legal questions. As your question demonstrates, it's certainly not easy, and it won't be possible to answer it via the site. Reading your question, I think a lot has already happened, and reading the documents and providing legal advice will take a considerable amount of time. The likelihood of someone doing that for free is very small. If you're considering this as a topic for a law student, you might want to contact a law school at a university in the Netherlands. They might be able to help you further.

Questioner

Dear Answerer, You're spot on; I was already worried about the time-consuming nature of my question. That's why I was already thinking of a student who could explore a realistic problem with this and definitely learn something from it. In any case, your reaction isn't directly negative about legal action against DNB. I get the feeling there's a lot of hesitation about taking legal action against DNB. I will follow your advice and see if there is any interest within any of the universities. Yours sincerely,