advice on cancelling my sons bank account

seert

my son has been given a 4 year prison term (don't want to go any further with this bit), up until the day he was sentenced he was working and had been for 15 years, he has a bank account and when his last wage was paid into the bank it didn't completely clear his overdraft.
I have tried to explain to them the situation and i'm not getting anywhere quickly.

They are adding interest to his account each day and i'm trying to tell them this is pointless as there is no way of this being paid to them, i'm retired and will not be paying towards it as i don't have the funds either.

Could someone please give me some helpful advice, i don't need the high and mighty people judging on this, it is stressful enough for the family, we have nearly everything else sorted out.

Thank you for taking time to read.

xylophone

he has a bank account and when his last wage was paid into the bank it didn't completely clear his overdraft.
I have tried to explain to them the situation and i'm not getting anywhere quickly.

Is your son able to write to the bank to explain the situation?

DigForVictory

Might this weblink help you & your son?
Unlock have a lot of helpful information.
Just changing address will clue them in & a letter should make quite a lot of (hopefully helpful) difference.

seert

xylophone wrote: »

Is your son able to write to the bank to explain the situation?

not sure how it all works as yet but im sure he will be allowed to write out, so that sounds like a practical idea, i take it he will have to quote all of his information on this letter?

Flobberchops

Is he allowed any access to online banking or telephone banking?


Failing that, can you get power of attorney for him?

seert

Flobberchops wrote: »

Is he allowed any access to online banking or telephone banking?


Failing that, can you get power of attorney for him?

No he has no access to online or telephone banking

eDicky

He should be able to write and mail a simple letter to the Bank informing them of his new address. There may be stamped letterhead on supplied paper, or a stamp by the censor, or he can ask the screws to stamp the prison address and/or write a note to verify his name, number and residence. He'll have to find his way according to the particular prison, there are few facilities when first convicted and before categorised and allocated onward.

Anyway the bank can then send correspondence and they take it from there, I believe it should be possible subject to censorship, but I'm not sure.

peachyprice

If the bank account is OD it can't be 'cancelled' (I assume you mean closed?). It will sit there for the next 4 years, gathering interest. I don't believe being in prison would be grounds for being relieved of your financial obligations.

The link DfV gave earlier explains the steps your son can take, but closing the account and not paying the overdraft off isn't one of them.

Takmon

seert wrote: »

my son has been given a 4 year prison term (don't want to go any further with this bit), up until the day he was sentenced he was working and had been for 15 years, he has a bank account and when his last wage was paid into the bank it didn't completely clear his overdraft.
I have tried to explain to them the situation and i'm not getting anywhere quickly.

They are adding interest to his account each day and i'm trying to tell them this is pointless as there is no way of this being paid to them, i'm retired and will not be paying towards it as i don't have the funds either.

Could someone please give me some helpful advice, i don't need the high and mighty people judging on this, it is stressful enough for the family, we have nearly everything else sorted out.

Thank you for taking time to read.

I'm not sure exactly what you expect to happen?. I would expect the debt to continue as it is with it incurring interest at the agreed rate until he comes out of prison when he will then have to start making arrangements to pay it back.

I can't see how him going to prison would in any way let him get away with not paying interest on money he has agreed to borrow.

Ashen

Takmon wrote: »

I'm not sure exactly what you expect to happen?. I would expect the debt to continue as it is with it incurring interest at the agreed rate until he comes out of prison when he will then have to start making arrangements to pay it back.

I can't see how him going to prison would in any way let him get away with not paying interest on money he has agreed to borrow.

Not the OP, but absolutely no harm in asking in writing no matter what expectations (or hopes) are. If anything, it seems important to write to them to inform of the situation, which could avoid potential issues with debt collection agencies if it got to that stage.

Zanderman

Agree with Takmon and others who point that you cannot 'cancel' an overdrawn account, not without re-paying the debt.

So your aim, OP, is unattainable.

At best you just get your son to tell the bank about his situation. He'll have to repay the debt when he gets out. And it will accrue interest whilst he's inside.