Thankyou soooo much gizmo, josie and everyone else who has replied to me today. Have clicked on all your scales. Will call haliprats tomorrow from work (if I can between emergencies) to see what they say. I will definitely start making the relevant phone calls on Wednesday to change my DMC. Can I open a basic account with Nationwide on-line or does it have to be in branch?

And P.S Gizmo, I do pay my DMC to make my payments.

Thanks again Gizmo, will do. Have tried Nationwide and HSBC before - they wouldn't entertain me. Do you think I might have a fighting chance if I go in with T&C's and BBA printout??

Thanks Josie. Unfortunately not sure how I will be able to pay the fees for the CCA and SAR if Haliprats take all my money. Am hoping that under condtion 6.2 thay will not be able to with the account being in joint names. Was just thinking, does going through the DMC make the debt joint? Mmmm! Also looking at condtiotion under which they say they can freeze tha account: 29 When will we stop you taking money out of your account? 29.1 If we reasonably think your account is being used for illegal purposes, or if we find out there is a disagreement about who owns the money in the account (including a disagreement between the account holders on a joint account,) we may freeze your account. This means we will not allow anyone to take money out of your account, pay money in (unless we agree) or carry out other transactions until we are satisfied that your account is not being used for illegal purposes or that the disagreement is settled. 29.2 We may also freeze your account if we find out that a bankruptcy order is made against you or we reasonably think that one is likely to be made. This means we will not allow anyone to take money out of your account, pay money in or carry out any other transaction unless that person has a legal right to do so. What do you think guys, I don't think any of these condtions apply to my account, certainly no illegal activity or bankruptcy. I don't even have any CCJs so surely there can be no dispute over who owns the money in my account?? Let me know what you think.

Thank you gizmo, though not sure if that will work as my wage has already been paid in. They haven't taken anything out of my account yet though, it is still £1736.10 in credit. I don't have seven days before my husband's wage goes in but will try and give it a go. I'm nightshift on Wednesday so will just have to go without sleep while I get this sorted out. There may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel as I llok and my bank account conditions under secction 6 - When can we take money out of your account? section 6.2 reads: "If any money is overdue for payment on any other account you have with us, whether in your sole name or in joint names; we my take the money that you owe us out of your account. If your account is a joint account we will only do this if the overdue debt is also on a joint account held by the same people. We can do this without giving you notice." The overdraft in question is on my sole account, two of the credit cards are solely in my husbands name, and one solely in my name. I have a further card that it is in my name but my husband is an additional card holder. Does this make it a joint account? I always thought it didn't but then I was under the illusion they couldn't just take my money. How wrong I can be.

Please excuse my ignorance but could someone please explain what the first right of appropriation letter is and what CCA is??

It is a joint acount and none of the credit cards are in joint names, all either my husbands or mine. DMC did advise me to do this but wasn't able to change the account my husbands wages are paid into as the army pay system was changing in the months before he left and now am unable to do anythinhg about it. Can't go to CAB tomorrow as at work from 7 till 7. Am terrified now they are going to clear out my account. They withdrew my overdraft and froze my account on a bank holiday weekend in May leavng me with no funds for 5 days and now have done it again. My debt management company have been paying them. How can they do this? Why are they allowed to force me to repay debts simply because I have a current account with them when other creditors are not able to force me to repay debts and have to get a CCJ to do so?? Feel sick now with worry, don't want to be left with no money again - I work bl**dy hrd for it how can they be alloed to leave me with nothing??

Thanks Broke Dave, Kinda what I didn't want to hear, didn't think they could just take money from your account. Looking through CAB website all it talks about is county court judgements and bailiffs etc. Very confused and concerned that they are able to just take money in this way if you have other debts with the bank you hold a current account with. If this is the case thay will be able o take every penny I am paid as my credit card debts with HBOS totals approx £5000. I am currently paying a debt management company who is in turn paying HBOS so it's not as if I am not paying them anything. I don't have any money at all and unfortunately am an Ambulance Tehnician and start shift at 7am tomorrow so will struggle to speak to CAB tomorrow. Luckily my parents have been able to drive 70miles today to bring me some food and fuel my car so will be able to get to work (luckily not affecting ambulance cover in the area.) Sincerely hope thay don't take all my hard earned cash - my husband is returning on leave after 3 months in Iraq next week and it would be preferential if I am actually able to feed him when he is home!!!

Hi All, Just wondering if anyone in the Debt Action Group can help me?? Have had a good route around OFT and Consumer Advice Bureau websites and can't find answer to the above - unable to get through to CAB as bank holiday today and is very urgent - please read my story on my bank charge thread if you can: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/halifax-bank-bank-scotland/75861-suzi999-haliprats.html Hope I've entered this link properly and it works. Any advice greatly received, not sure what banks are allowed to do. Want to be armed with knowledge of rights before I speak to them. Thankyou.

Is no-one out there reading my thread?? Can anyone help please!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if anyone can help with the question I posed in my last post on this thread or can forward this to someone who can help. Need to know where I stand before I talk to the bank. Going to have to log off now as I was on shift last night and need to get some sleep. Please post reply on here will pickup later today, desperately need some advice. Thanks.

Hi All, Firstly an apology that I've not posted here for a while. Unfortunately after the whole saga of the Halifax cancelling my account then re-instating it then withdrawing my entire overdraft facility leaving me minus my wage for a month, I've not been able to afford to continue with my claim. I DESPERATELY need advice here as another bank holiday has arrived with the Halifax AGAIN freezing my account. Last time they said it was due to "arrears" on my current account by which the meant my overdraft which was paid off every month. They froze my account, cancelled my card, left me with no dough then shaved years off my life by telling me they would also be taking my husbands wages when it was paid in as I have amounts outstanding on HBOS credit cards currently being paid under a debt management plan. Turns out thankfully this wasn't the case, when I finally managed to contact the credit management people at the halifax who advised me that my overdraft had been withdrawn so there were no no more arrears on the account and re-instated the account. Now it seems they have decided to freeze my account again. Spoke to someone on the 08457 203040 number (only people I can speak to on bank holiday) who said head office have frozen the account due to an overdraft on another account. I have an overdraft on a BOS account of £338. My wage that has just been paid into my current account was £1736.10 and my husbands of £1200 will be paid in the next few days. I cannot access any money and cannot speak to them until tomorrow. Could someone please tell me are they allowed to do this??? The other overdraft and all balances on my HBOS credit cards are all under the debt management programme and my DMC have been sending out all the relevant cheques. I have never been contacted by a court regards any of the debts so don't have any CCJ's I think??? Can they just take my money in this way. There is no overdraft on my current account now, it is fully in credit. Can they take my money because I have the outstanding credit card balances with the HBOS company?? Don't they need a court order first? So confused, and stressed. Have been working overtime so I can have a nice couple of weeks with my husband when he's back on his r&r from Iraq, gutted that the bank might be able to take all my heard earned cash. Have tried looking on OFT and Consumer Advice Bureau websites but cannot find the answer to this question. Can anyone help?

Thankyou Miss Muppet, will definitely be sending a complaint to fso about all this. Will have to wait and see what haliprats and my debt management company say on Tuesday, then will take things from there. Thanks again for the messages of support, good to know there are people out there who have suffered the same at the hand of the banks!

Hey all, Thankyou very much for your messages of support Tilly & moneyhelp. Went to my local branch this afternoon, they've Taken the money because I have another overdraft on a bank of scotland account of £338 which my debt management company are dealing with along with the overdraft on my current account of £1250. They've said that because my debt management company have contacted them they have taken the money "while they can." My husband has a halifax credit card and I have a BOS credit card so chances are they will seize my husband's wage when it is paid on Thursday also. This is why debt management companies always advise you change accounts before you enter a debt management programme. There was nothing they could do today as they are unable to overrule head office. They gave me £50 cash as a "goodwill" gesture but I cannot access any of my funds. I just hope my husband doesn't need any money out ther in Iraq as I cannot get in contact with him! I now cannot do anything until Tuesday, I need to call their head office and pretty much grovel for my own money back. It's all left me feeling a bit shattered to be honest and I'm now feeling extremely guilty as I have had to book sick for work tonight & tomorrow (I'm an Emergency Medical Technician) so now because of the Halifax (though I conceed if I managed my finances better none of this would be happening) the ambulance cover in this area is going to be affected on a very busy bank holidy weekend, leaving my already stressed colleagues even more stretched. On the plus side (well I'm still not exactly doing cartwheels here) the chp I was speaking to today said that he had noted I had lodged a complaint against my bank charges and asked if I had replied to their letter declining my complaint. I said that I had and he said that's good. Obviously there are some employees in these banks that know what they do is wrong. Hope everyone else is having a better bank holiday weekend than me!!

Hi All, Update on my drama, spoke to my debt management company this morning, in their words Halifax are being "a**eholes." Unfortunately the whole thing i partially my fault as I should have had my wages paid into a different account but have been unable to do so as it's a joint account, my husband is in Basra at the moment and I have no way of changing the account that his wages are paid into. Got an appointment at my Halifax local branch at 13.30 to discuss my account but seriously doubt they are going to do anything to help me. Means I'm £1200 down this month so there's no way I'm going to be able to afford to do my MCOL as I'll barely have enough money to eat.