Coming off a joint bank account.

PippaGirl_2

My dd split up with her partner at the beginning of August. They had a joint bank account from which rent and bills were paid. Their tenancy ended in September though only the partner lived there for the last 7 weeks. The joint account had £500 agreed overdraft limit and at the time of the relationship ending was just in the negative balance. The partner said they wanted to keep the account as theirs and has been using it solely since but now the balance is below the overdraft limit and huge charges are being added for this every month and of course the account is still jointly in my dd's name and she is getting constant debt demand letters about this which is causing stress and anxiety.

The partner refuses to go to the bank to sign to agree to take it on herself and of course the account would have to be in a positive balance to do that so this would need to be arranged in the small windows of the month after the partners pay day for a couple of days.

Dd has tried freezing the account after the partner's pay day in the hope that this will prompt her to agree to take it on herself as a sole account but she just goes to the bank and unfreezes it.

My dd did not create any of the overdraft or charges and she has not used the account since. If she had the £500 she would pay off the overdraft if it meant she could come off the account but with added fees it would be considerably more than that. However she doesn't have the money to do any of that anyway.

Any pointers as to how to get this joint account into a sole account for the partner, without the partners cooperation? Bearing in mind all the debt was created by the partner. Surely there must be a way?

anoncol

They should get the account closed surely not made sole. How can 1 party unfreeze the account?

grumbler

Start with reading the T&C - what they say about closing a joint account.
I have no idea what you mean by 'freezing'. The correct word is putting it in dispute.
Until the account is closed properly your dd is jointly and solely responsible for any debt created by her ex.

PippaGirl_2

The bank said either of them can freeze the account at any stage and either can unfreeze it so that doesn't help. The account needs to be in credit to close or turn into a sole account and my dd does not have the money to pay off her ex partners debts and according to the bank to do either of those things requires both signatures and the partner is refusing to do so.

She seems stuck with this for the foreseeable unless someone knows a way out.

YorkshireBoy

PippaGirl wrote: »

She seems stuck with this for the foreseeable unless someone knows a way out.

The "way out" is to disclose the bank's name. Then someone will post a link to the relevant part of the T&Cs, which she should then cite in a formal complaint.

colsten

As grumbler said, you / your daughter need to start with reading the T&Cs. Which bank is the account with?

marleyboy

Play them at their own game. Come the next pay day going in. go to the bank and withdraw the lot. Agreeing to return the money ONCE partner has agreed to meet in the bank and have name removed. Or face the wrath of the next Months wage removal service.

You will be surprised just how quickly they want that name removed.

PippaGirl_2

Lloyds

My tablet can't open pdf's so hopefully the t&c's will be available in another format. My dd has a speech and language disorder and would have trouble understanding them.

PippaGirl_2

marleyboy wrote: »

Play them at their own game. Come the next pay day going in. go to the bank and withdraw the lot. Agreeing to return the money ONCE partner has agreed to meet in the bank and have name removed. Or face the wrath of the next Months wage removal service.

You will be surprised just how quickly they want that name removed.

That isn't a bad idea! Though I think dd has handed in her card but I guess in branch she could do that anyway with ID

I will discuss it with her, whether she feels brave enough to do that. Also not sure how much it goes into credit as the partner has run up so much debt. They might not be that fussed about losing the odd tenner!

grumbler

PippaGirl wrote: »

The account needs to be in credit to close or turn into a sole account and my dd does not have the money to pay off her ex partners debts

Well, she has to find the money if she wants to get the account closed.

and according to the bank to do either of those things requires both signatures and the partner is refusing to do so.

Usually bank staff either lie or simply are incompetent and don't know. Typically it's just one signature, but indeed the account has to be in credit.

A note for the future: a joint account isn't needed for paying bills. A sole one can do the job perfectly.

PippaGirl_2

Yes, I think she's well and truly learnt the pitfalls of a joint account and won't be bitten twice! If just one signature is enough to come off the joint account then if the account goes into credit on pay day we could get it done then. But the bank have told her she needs both signatures.