Installing new ceiling fan. Don't think there is a white (neutral) wire
It sounds like whoever installed it, used the neutral as a hot and the ground as a neutral.  Likely they wanted to control the fan and light separately, but only had two conductor cable between the switch and fixture.

If you're installing a remote, you'll only need the two conductors.  

Without seeing what you have, this is what you might have to do. 


Disconnect the white wire from the switch, and connect it to the grounded (neutral) conductor in the switch box.  
Connect the bare grounding conductors in the switch box togther, making sure to disconnect any bare grounding wires that are attached to white grounding conductors. 
Follow the instructions to install the new fan and remote.

in the ceiling box, connect white to white, black to black, and ground to ground.



This will mean one switch does nothing, while the other provides power to the remote. So you can swap out the double switch for a single one if you want.

Warning

This answer is a guess based on past experience, and the limited information you've provided.  If you provide more information, we'll be able to provide more accurate answers. If you're unsure about what's going on, don't be afraid to contact an Electrician.