To be honest, I understand his predicament.
When I was eighteen and about to be married, I took out a loan in MY name, as my credit rating was better, to pay for some bits for the wedding, & to pay for a removal van, first month's rent and a bond and other associated moving costs, as after the wedding my new hubby and I were moving to the North East from Essex.

We also had a joint account, and for a lot of our marriage, he didn't work. I would find out that he had been dipping into the account (i.e. the salary I was bringing home, because he refused to work) and spending up to £30 a day in the pub . He once even cleared me out of £200 to get a tattoo done, when we were already struggling. Unfortunately, when you're married and you trust the other person, you want to believe all their excuses.

He has since left me, and I have ended up with the remains of a £6,000 loan to pay off and a £1,000 over draft, not to mention having paid all the charges for going over the overdraft limit.

I've learnt my lesson, and while my OH and I "borrow" money from each other, we always repay it as soon as we can. At the moment, I am supporting him while he looks for work, but it's not really costing any more than me living in the house alone, but I refuse to take out credit, etc, for the benefit of "us". I don't mind doing something jointly, where we are both legally responsible, but I will never put myself back in that position.

I really feel for your friend, and I hope he has the sense to start wondering if this marriage is worth being involved in.

This is exactly it Helena, I doubt he'd ever have a leg to stand on as he trusted her and what she was doing. She made up some cock and bull story at the time that if everything was in the same account as her personal account with her bank, then they would get a lump sum cashback reward of quite a substantial amount but everything would have to be in her name and he agreed and it was done and signed it all over not even thinking twice. Very sad.

Hi kel, have to go with losos on this, not even business accounts for the company work like that, we have three accounts for the business, with high intrest account for the vat and so on, all with diff account numbers, so its not possible, Dougie had problems like this with his ex when she hummped the company just before they split up, for a good few grand, she dipped the employee wage account, so he lost it twice really cos the wages still had to be paid,, hope its not as sinister as that but my gut says ya it is, x

Legally I dont think he has a leg to stand on if the money was in her account in her name only then its her money, I would imagine even if they took it to a solicitors, they would say you signed it over to her and it was your responsiblity to to ensure what you were signing you were happy with. she could come back with the augument that it was all agreed that the money was hers and that he changed his tune when things started going wrong in the marriage, she could even say it was always HER money and that in the early days allowed him onto the account but later changed because she didnt want him to get hold of HER money?

Mo

I do feel for your friend, it must be so hard for him to believe his o/h would do something like this to him, even though she has already pulled the wool over his eyes so many times in the past. Think this will probably be the wake up call he needs but at such a cost. He is going to need a very big shoulder to cry on. I feel so sorry for him.

If they're not living together now (I don't know ) could he not threaten her in any way? I don't mean by sending round the heavies, but give her a very stiff, firm telephone call, stating that he has sussed out what she is up to, he's taken legal advice (which he hasn't but he can lie like she has!!!)and if she doesn't put half the money into an account in HIS name, then he's been advised she could face a prison sentence with what she's been up to???? I think that's what I would do, try and scare the pants off her and tell a few porkies like she has to him! If, on the other hand, he's still with this woman and they're still in a relationship, he then has umpteen methods of getting her to change it to their joint names and then grabbing it all out one day when she's not looking!??? Mind you, if she's as scarey as she sounds, this will be quite difficult won't it. Let's just hope it might be a case of what goes around, and she'll get her comeuppance. That's a lot of money to kiss goodbye to isn't it. Rather him than me! Better get that shoulder ready for this lovely man who's been badly abused.

it sounds as though the money has gone but may be a little plus is that all the debts are in her name and not his so he wont be liable to pay them back aswell as losing the savings. Best advice I can give is goto CAB for advice and then a solicitor for a divorce



I feel for your friend

mel x

I know when my Mum was with Barclays she had one account that was made into 'pots' and I'm sure they all had the same number.
It was only because she was told she had too much money in her bak account, so it was split into these blooming pots. The majority in one at a higher rate of interest, and then another with a 'float' in it.
It was acomplete disaster as the big one was supposed to automatically top up the little one as thats where bills were paid from, but it didn't. So she got charged and I had to go and rant at the bank.
We eventually went back to a normal account.

If your friend def has been had I agree with the others, speak to the bank, and the police but not sure what he can do if all in her name.

I think so too Shona, hopefully will find out sooner rather than later but she does tend to drag these things out so won't hold my breath.

That is what I said to him Mo, I don't think there is much he can do at all.

I only hope it is a wake up call and she doesn't manage to worm her way out of it yet again. I have very big shoulders, that is not a problem I just feel so helpless watching this, it's like watching a train wreck it really is.

They are still together Helena, more convenience and family/work ties than love but I don't think (after all the years of abuse and her constantly putting him down) that he has had the courage to leave, he thinks he needs her and this is why he is so ready to believe her excuses too. She is a very scarey woman Helena and one with (IMO) serious mental issues.

I think it probably is gone and that is what I said to him, at least all of the cards are in her name and not shared so that is one thing.

Thank you everyone for your help, will keep you updated as and when. x

Even if it were possible to have 2 accounts with the same number, how on earth would they be able to send 'red letters' and charge her overdraught fees for being over £500 overdrawn if she also had over 50k in the same account? It's impossible surely? I honestly don't think there ever has been any savings. He says 13k he had before he met her and I don't even think they have that now. I really don't know and am still hoping it is a huge missunderstanding of some sort, for his sake.