Joint account frozen, no debt, cant close

milo_11_2

Hey, I've tried looking for a specific answer and see a lot of similar threads but most seem to have an unpaid overdraft or some other debt attached to it.

My problem appears to be a lot simpler yet I'm getting nowhere.

Like many people, I set up a joint account with an ex. We set it up so both had to sign to take any money out etc as it was our savings for a mortgage deposit.

We ended up splitting up, managed to take the money out jointly, but at the time I did not think of also closing it, it completely slipped my mind.
Things turned sour and contact stopped.
I tried getting her to come to the bank to close it down but she didn't seem much to care for it.
So I contacted them and froze it.

Here-in seems to lie the problem.
Because I had it frozen-with absolutely no money in the account or any overdraft on it and nothing owed to it, we have to both sign to say the dispute is settled before it can be closed.
But how can they (Nationwide) be so stubborn on not wanting to close it when nothing is in it and it hasn't been used for well over a year?!

They (Nationwide, who have mostly been good up until this situation) say that it was in the T&C's when we signed to create the account... But absolutely NO couple go into making a joint account with the expectations that we are going to split up at any point, so of course we are going to sign!

Why are there no contingencies for this kind of situation where no money is owed and one party is being resistant to doing anything to help close it down? There is no debt owed to them. Neither of us will be any worse off for having it closed down.

Then there is another issue.
I asked in branch for them to write to her, and they said it is down to me, not them, to get her to sign something.

Yet I finally managed to get her to respond and she said she can close it down from her end-they said she could-and that if my signature is needed at all, then they will write to me for it!

What the hell is going on??

I just want to remove my financial link to her and be done with it, but no matter how much I try, I don't seem to get anywhere.

As a note of interest, I don't believe her word of dealing with it, until it actually has been dealt with as she has said she would do things before, and nothing happens.

eskbanker

milo_11 wrote: »

Why are there no contingencies for this kind of situation where no money is owed and one party is being resistant to doing anything to help close it down?

Why do you expect them to be responsible for this? If they've said to you that the Ts & Cs of the account necessitate both of you instructing them to close it, then they won't do anything until or unless that happens, and why should they?

System

eskbanker wrote: »

Why do you expect them to be responsible for this? If they've said to you that the Ts & Cs of the account necessitate both of you instructing them to close it, then they won't do anything until or unless that happens, and why should they?

They can always close the account - with two months notice at their sole discretion. This should be easier since it has no borrowing or funds.

You could lodge a formal complaint and ask them to either close it or remove you from the account.

Sparx

If there is no balance (£0) or debt, then ask them to just remove you? Then it becomes a sole account in her name only... (rather than 'close it')

If they refuse for any reason, then log a complaint as there is no reason to refuse this on the basis there is no debt or balance to argue about.