Marital Breakup and Bank REFUSED to freeze joint account

hotlioness

I have put in a complaint to First Trust Bank. During a marital breakdown, my partner left. I requested to the bank to have the joint account frozen but they refused saying they needed both signatures. My partner drained the account, rent for properties that I owned were going in to pay the mortgage company, and over a 2.5 year period my partner cleaned me out. I pleaded with the bank to freeze the account but they said NO. The result was a day in court for attempted house repossession. My partner cleaned the business account for £70,000, my business went bust plus lots of bank charges. Only after the day in court and no money left in the account did they close the account. I have searched the internet and found that the bank should have froze the account! I have written to First Trust with a complaint and threatened to report them to the ICO. My question is, what should I be requesting to happen in my complaint? Compensation and bank charges refunded? Would they compensate?

PeacefulWaters

Follow the complaints process.
http://www.firsttrustbank.co.uk/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FTPersonalPortal/FTContent_C/ft_guide&c=FTContent_C&cid=1276184485207&channel=P007

State, in bullet form, what you asked for, what their response was and what you believe should have happened.

Then explain what the consequences were, in bullet form, financially and emotionally.

Then tell them what you would like them to do to rectify things.

You mention the ICO. I don't see what it's got to do with them. The FOS is the next step if you remain dissatisfied with the bank.

hotlioness

I've emailed the FOS for advice as have a few matters that need addressing, but because they exceeded there 40 days for sending a SAR, after chasing the SAR up numerous times I finally received a list of transactions not showing a £20,000 loan and the bank saying they had no evidence of it in 2007. I then threatened to take it to ICO and he next day the transaction for the £20,000 came through the post. So was going to include all 3 complaints to ICO

Rrushi_Shqiptar

My account was frozen in days of us splitting up. I didn't ask for it to be frozen, madam just told them I had gone etc.....

Sorry to hear about what has happened. Bank told me that they had a duty to freeze the account as soon as a dispute occurs (I am with Co op)

Hominu

When I broke up with the missus, I just withdrew 50% of the joint account to my own personal account and cancelled the DDs on the joint account via online banking. Perhaps that wasn't following proper procedure, but it worked. The bank refused to close the account without both signatures so it just sat there with a zero balance (she obviously took or spent the money sometime, I really don't care).

hotlioness

Hominu wrote: »

When I broke up with the missus, I just withdrew 50% of the joint account to my own personal account and cancelled the DDs on the joint account via online banking. Perhaps that wasn't following proper procedure, but it worked. The bank refused to close the account without both signatures so it just sat there with a zero balance (she obviously took or spent the money sometime, I really don't care).

Unbelievable in this day and age that they are allowed to do this. I have looked it up and they should freeze straight away. I can't understand how they don't follow procedure

PeacefulWaters

hotlioness wrote: »

Unbelievable in this day and age that they are allowed to do this. I have looked it up and they should freeze straight away.

Do you have a link to this?

I can't understand how they don't follow procedure

Maybe somebody made a mistake.

agrinnall

I still don't understand what the ICO has to do with any of this.

hotlioness

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Do you have a link to this?

Maybe somebody made a mistake.

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/protect-your-financial-position-during-divorce-or-separation

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/relationships_w/relationships_relationship_problems_e/ending_a_relationship_when_you_re_living_together.htm

I think it's at the banks discretion but in there best interests and most banks insist on the account being frozen at the sniff of a separation

PeacefulWaters

hotlioness wrote: »

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/protect-your-financial-position-during-divorce-or-separation

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/relationships_w/relationships_relationship_problems_e/ending_a_relationship_when_you_re_living_together.htm

I think it's at the banks discretion but in there best interests and most banks insist on the account being frozen at the sniff of a separation

But, for clarity, not compulsory in any sort of legal way. They may not have followed their own procedures correctly, and that should be the basis of any complaint, but there is no point implying that they had an obligation in law to act differently.

hotlioness

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

But, for clarity, not compulsory in any sort of legal way. They may not have followed their own procedures correctly, and that should be the basis of any complaint, but there is no point implying that they had an obligation in law to act differently.

No, no legally, but the majority of banks follow this procedure. The point is the devastating consequences there decision had on my whole life.