Power Of Attorney Problem.

WoodruffsDad

My wife and I have power of attorney over my mother-in-law's affairs as she is completely immobile and living in a care home. We need to pay some care bills urgently but we are finding it difficult to access mother-in-law's accounts. Internet banking with HSBC is a nightmare!

Can we issue and sign cheques from her account using cheque books that are pre-printed with mother-in-law's name?

She is unable to write having lost her sight and the power in her limbs.

Mojisola

Do the bank know that you have POA?

Dad's bank issued a new cheque book for Dad's account with my name + POA for Mr Mojisola printed on the cheques.

dzug1

If the PoA has been registered with HSBC along with your signature it should be OK to use her chequebook signing with your name and writing in Attorney for

That's how Natwest did it - they didn't bother with a separate cheque book and did tell me that writing Attorney for wasn't strictly necessary.

WoodruffsDad

Mojisola wrote: »

Do the bank know that you have POA?

Dad's bank issued a new cheque book for Dad's account with my name + POA for Mr Mojisola printed on the cheques.

My wife and I were both thoroughly "interviewed" by the local branch of HSBC who kept copies of the POA documentation and our signatures.

They did not, however, give us a new cheque book showing our names.

Mojisola

dzug1 wrote: »

If the PoA has been registered with HSBC along with your signature it should be OK to use her chequebook signing with your name and writing in Attorney for

That's how Natwest did it - they didn't bother with a separate cheque book and did tell me that writing Attorney for wasn't strictly necessary.

WoodruffsDad wrote: »

My wife and I were both thoroughly "interviewed" by the local branch of HSBC who kept copies of the POA documentation and our signatures.

They did not, however, give us a new cheque book showing our names.

Banks obviously vary in their handling of POAs.

JuicyJesus

It's quite normal not to get a new cheque book for a POA. Think about it logically - your name really SHOULDN'T be on there as you are acting on behalf of the donor.

alanq

dzug1 wrote: »

That's how Natwest did it - they didn't bother with a separate cheque book and did tell me that writing Attorney for wasn't strictly necessary.

I asked Natwest if I required a separate chequebook and was told not. No mention of perhaps writing "attorney for". I was told that as mine was a registered signature for the account I could use my mother's chequebook. (Not that the need has arisen so far a she still has capacity to sign her own cheques). I did wonder if I had been given duff advice so it is reassuring that others have been told the same.

I suppose things were different in the days of cheque guarantee cards when problems would have arisen because my own name appears on my debit card for my mother's account.

le_loup

I found HSBC to be totally supportive and, once the documents were registered with them, cheques, online banking and branch banking are no problem at all.

WoodruffsDad

le_loup wrote: »

I found HSBC to be totally supportive and, once the documents were registered with them, cheques, online banking and branch banking are no problem at all.

Your experience is different to mine then! Setting up internet banking was impossible. I entered all the details correctly but the HSBC system decided I'd made a mistake (3 times) and locked me out. I tried to 'phone the helpline but I had to input my mother-in-law's date of birth and the HSBC system decided that it wasn't correct!

This is why I'm asking about using cheques!

Biggles

You need to go into the branch and have another talk.

With Lloyds, I had online access (though they would need to send you the new logon details no doubt) and a new cheque book ("Biggles, POA for Biggles's Mum").

They all have their own way of doing it and you shouldn't really have left the bank without asking them what their way was.

WoodruffsDad

Biggles wrote: »

You need to go into the branch and have another talk.

With Lloyds, I had online access (though they would need to send you the new logon details no doubt) and a new cheque book ("Biggles, POA for Biggles's Mum").

They all have their own way of doing it and you shouldn't really have left the bank without asking them what their way was.

I left the bank with ALL of the details they provided me with - Secure Key, Activation Code etc - but when I came to login on my computer the details the bank provided did not work. So not my fault!