Closing a disputed joint account

Dskeet

Hello,

Please help us.

My partner has a joint Barclays account with her ex, they split up 5 years ago and the ex put a dispute on the account preventing my partner to close the account (only £2 is in the account) the ex has done this as a number of years ago he declared himself bankrupt and knows it will affect my partners credit rating.

How can we get my partners name removed from the account severing the financial link that is harming her credit rating?

The ex will not help close the account.

Many thanks,

[Deleted User]

Speak to the bank.
Or involve a solicitor.

DigForVictory

Ask Ex how much.
Pay up or price up court action.

That it should all have been sorted a long time ago doesn't help, but for anyone contemplating matters financial and divorce, the decrees just undo the marriage not the finances.

Terry_Towelling

What is the nature of the dispute that the ex has 'put on the account'?

jonesMUFCforever

Dskeet wrote: »

Hello,

Please help us.

My partner has a joint Barclays account with her ex, they split up 5 years ago and the ex put a dispute on the account preventing my partner to close the account (only £2 is in the account) the ex has done this as a number of years ago he declared himself bankrupt and knows it will affect my partners credit rating.

How can we get my partners name removed from the account severing the financial link that is harming her credit rating?

The ex will not help close the account.

Many thanks,

His bankruptcy should not affect your partner's credit files unless the account is overdrawn.
Ask the bank for an up to date statement.
Check the 3 main CRA's to see what is on there.

If the account is in credit with £2 just leave well alone - not worth forking out on legal costs.
It will eventually go dormant and drop off your credit files.

PRAISETHESUN

Could you ask your bank to remove the name from the account instead of trying to close it completely? Leave it open and solely in the ex-partner's name for them to sort out - I should imagine that this would be easy since the account is in credit and you are not asking for access to any of the funds. It's definitely not worth the costs of getting lawyers, etc involved - but you can formally (written) complain to Barclays (if you haven't already) and if/when they aren't able to resolve this to your satisfaction, then you can escalate to the FOS free of charge.

JuicyJesus

Surprised the bank hasn't closed the account down already if the ex-partner is bankrupt. Many if not most banks won't countenance continuing an account for an undischarged bankrupt.

Without the bank or the ex-partner co-operating you really are looking at a solicitor. No harm done in asking around a few local firms for a free consultation, but expect any concrete action to cost money. Exhaust the bank's complaints procedure and then FOS first though, as this is free of charge to your partner and they are not bound by whatever decision FOS come up with unless they actually accept it.

xylophone

Surely a bank can choose to close any account at any time with any person or persons with whom it doesn't wish to do business?

Does Barclays know the partner is bankrupt?

JuicyJesus

xylophone wrote: »

Surely a bank can choose to close any account at any time with any person or persons with whom it doesn't wish to do business?

Absolutely, but by the same token it can refuse to do so on request, particularly in cases like this.

Disputed joint accounts are one of those things where everyone at a given bank will immediately clam up and refuse to deal with anything any further without both parties' consent, because it's drummed into everyone from almost day one that to do so can cause lots of exciting drama when the bank has to interpose itself in someone else's failing relationship and/or divorce. Which is why the correct suggestion is to go to FOS and then if no joy then to see a solicitor about issuing a sh*tty letter to the bank's legal team on their nice paper.