Will bank know who payee on cheque is

Payless_2

My Mum has Alzheimer's and we are in the process of applying for deputyship over her affairs. In the mean time I am co signatory for her bank accounts. She has a considerable sum in these as my Dad died intestate last year and all of his money went to her.

She is very paranoid and is always accusing people of stealing from her and now the police and our family don't take much notice. However, a close relative has recently told me an odd tale about finding a cheque for quite a lot of money that was made out to him. It was in a carrier bag with a receipt for a christmas present she had bought him and so he took it to the bank to cash it. The reason that he told me was because the bank were a bit shirty about it and he thought that they might phone me. This relation has a lot of gambling debts and also has access to my mam's accounts online. He said that there were 4 other cheques that seemed to have been issued about the same time as his and that 2 had been cashed and 2 were still missing.

He said that he assumed that the 2 that had been cashed had been sent to another relation who lives abroad as christmas presents. These were also for considerable amounts. The other 2 which have not been cashed, he guessed, were christmas presents for my son and I and she had lost them. I e mailed the relative abroad and he has not received any money from Mam.

Now, I am getting worried. Either I am becoming as paranoid as my Mam and need to see a doctor or I believe those cheques may have been signed by mam under false pretences. He has a lot of influence over her. I don't want to start throwing accusations around and so wondered if there was any way i could convince Mam's bank to tell me who cashed these cheques or even if they can do that.

At the minute I don't want to start alarm bells ringing as Mam has had the police involved when she has accused other people of stealing money from her bank (they hadn't). The cashiers are aware of how vulnerable she is but I may be completely wrong. In fact I hope I am.

Sorry this is so long. Does anyone know if banks can do this and of any way that I can ask that won't spark suspicions on their part? If the bank won't or can't I really don't know what to do next

rb10

You can ask for a copy of any cheque that you've written. Most banks will charge you about a fiver per cheque. I very much doubt that it'll spark any suspicions on the part of the bank.

hippey

I'm assuming you are in the UK, therefore you should be able to get copies of paid cheques from your bank.

Depending on which on your mother banks with will depend on the proceedure, but the long and short of it is that paid cheques end up back at your bank. Indeed in the days gone by they would be held at your branch but not any longer.

I suggest you contact you bank and ask to get copies of the cheques you want, however you might well need the cheque numbers that you think have been used and I would think there will be a charge, and as signature on the account you can request these and the bank won't even notice unless you start asking for every paid cheque!

stclair

I agree totally agree with the other posters.

Ask for copies the cheques to be sent to you.

Some banks can do it there an then now adays by downloading it off there system in branch.

pinkcheshirecat

Can you ask the bank to ensure that you are both required to sign all cheques on the account. Obviously it wouldn't solve your problem with the missing/cashed cheques but it would sort it for the future. I know that you can do it for business accounts so I would hope that you could for personal accounts....?

Payless_2

pinkcheshirecat wrote: »

Can you ask the bank to ensure that you are both required to sign all cheques on the account.

That would be ideal but as Mam is paranoid and has forgotten that I am co signatory. I don't really want to draw her attention to this as she will end it. It is the only control that we have over her finances at the minute and at least I can keep an eye on things, especially if she is taken into hospital. She treasures her independence and refuses to believe that she is ill