Halifax Closed My Joint Account Without Signature

Evisu2

Good afternoon all, I hope that you may be able to help me a bit.

I have split up with my GF of whom I opened a joint account with to pay the mortgage and bills etc for the house we purchased. This was opened with Halifax and I needed access to the account after splitting up to still pay the mortgage money in to. I was asked by my ex numerous times to go into the branch and close the account with her, or if she sent me a letter to sign it so that the account could be closed. I refused as I required the account open. About 4 months after splitting up, and after going into a branch and being told all i can do on the joint account is freeze it without her signature. I was happy that she was unable to close the account without my signature and I made sure that there was no overdraft possible. About a month after that I tried logging in online only to be told my information didnt exist. I tried calling and I didnt exist. I have no security code, no account number in my name, nothing. I went into the branch and was told that my ex had walked in and closed the account. I have spoken to customer service in relation to this happening and have been told by Halifax that only 1 person is needed to close a joint account and I was offered a gesture of £25 for the inconvenience. What is going on here! Who is lying and who is not telling the truth? lol.

Thank you for any responses in advance.

dr_adidas01

I think they have recently updated the terms on joint accounts within the Lloyds TSB group of which Halifax are part off.

1 person of the joint account can request the other be removed from the account. Which is what it seems your ex has done to you.

The exception to this is when two of you are required to authorise payments and direct debits and such like. Then it does take two people to close the account.

Did it take the two of you to Authorise Payments and such things or could either of you just authorise payments and direct debits.

Can you not speak to the Mortgage company and get them to take payments out of a different account?

System

Banks can accept the instructions of either party on joint accounts unless it's it setup to require both parties sign and in any case, can close the account at their discretion.

They generally prefer to have the authorisation from all account holders to close accounts (minimise later disputes) but they don't actually require it.

Assuming there is no money owed, I suggest you just move on!

dr_adidas01 wrote: »

1 person of the joint account can request the other be removed from the account. Which is what it seems your ex has done to you.

I doubt this has happened as they would look for consent or the death of the other account holder; it would have just been closed.

Evisu2

Here is the thing, I spoke to Lloyds TSB, partner to Halifax, same banking group and they say that 2 people are required to close an account. They said that 2 signatures are neccesary! We were both able to do what we wished on the account, setup direct debits etc etc. The trouble I have is that I was told numerous times that they required 2 signatures by Halifax employees and then one day the account was closed without my signature.

HoneyAndLemon

Only one signature is required to close a joint account.

However, if a notice of dispute between the 2 account holders has been noted on the system, then it would automatically flag up when the account was being closed. As this didn't happen, I dont think the dispute between the 2 of you was ever actually noted on the account.

You would know if it had been because both of you would have been written too, and the account would have been frozen for both incoming and outgoing payments, and money could only have been manually paid in at branch with an override done on the system.

As this wasnt done, either of you could close the account at any time, which is what has happened.

Poppie68

We closed one of our Halifax joint accounts down last year, my husband went into the bank on his own, they didnt need me to sign anything.

zzzLazyDaisy

Normally ONE of the account holders can close the account (provided it is not in overdraft) but it takes both account holders to sign to remove the name of just one of them.

If you think about it, this is reasonable - a joint account means that both are jointly and severally liable for any debt incurred on the account. So one account holder can run up a huge debt, and the other will be equally liable for the full debt. To give one account holder the power to make the other stay on the account against their will would be madness.

The same applies to joint tenancies - provided they are not in a fixed period, either tenant can end the tenancy, but one cannot take the other off the tenancy unless they both agree to it.

YorkshireBoy

Evisu2 wrote: »

Who is lying and who is not telling the truth?

The "truth" will always be found in the account T&Cs...

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/pdf/reward-current-account-guide.pdf (page 29)

Condition 10.1(a) allows one party to close the account.

Condition 10.1(h) overides 10.1(a) where they are aware of a dispute between the two parties.

opinions4u

Who is lying and who is not telling the truth?

Nobody is lying. Somebody is giving out incorrect information. There is a difference.

Evisu2 wrote: »

Here is the thing, I spoke to Lloyds TSB, partner to Halifax, same banking group and they say that 2 people are required to close an account.

Although the two banks have the same shareholders, their accounts have different features, rates, terms and conditions. Regardless, LTSB can close joint accounts on one signature.

They said that 2 signatures are neccesary!

Even though they aren't familiar with the terms and conditions of the account in question.

Thrugelmir

Evisu2 wrote: »

I refused as I required the account open.

For what purpose?