James Carter had cobbled together enough money from his bank accounts to pay an expensive car repair, so his wife could drive to work.

But before he could replenish the accounts, a series of small debit-card transactions already in the pipeline chewed up the Clermont couple’s remaining funds. Then their automatic bill payments kicked in, putting them further in the red.

The result: 19 overdraft fees that, at $36 a pop, plus penalties and interest, left them owing the bank $800.

“Things happened so fast, and we didn’t have enough money to cover it all right away,” said Carter, a 47-year-old refrigeration mechanic. “By the time we got money into the accounts, the fees had roller-coastered.”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-record-high-bank-fees-20101108,0,3989717.story