Nat West credit card debt - family member disabled following stroke - his now ex-wife ran up whilst he was in hospital

[YorkshireTykeV5]

Hello Caggers

A family member has an outstanding debt of £12k which his now ex-wife ran up whilst he was in hospital   

The stroke left him paralysed down one side and he now has added health problems as he now has Type 2 respiratory failure.

He currently pays a token amount of £3.95 a month. The account is in his name only.

I'm considering lending him a small amount of money in the hope that Nat West might accept a full and final proposal.

Does anyone have any experience of dealing with Nat West in similar circumstances?

[BankFodder]

How come she has had access to the account?

Do you know where she is and if she has any assets?

@dx100uk

 

Also, what is his condition like?

In blunt terms, is he likely ever to leave the hospital

[YorkshireTykeV5]

The credit card was in his name but at the time she also had a card (but the same account).

Yes I do know where she is but they are now divorced. She owns a property but I don't think that will help us.

He is being discharged from hospital today but is a frequent visitor, so to speak!  He can no longer walk and is confined to bed, but is able to speak and has the use of one hand. Not yet reached retirement age. Very sad.

[BankFodder]

I have put a call out to my site team colleague @dx100uk who will have a better idea than me about your original question regarding he likelihood of the bank agreeing to a partial payment.

My questions were really around the idea of being able to recover some or all of the money from the ex-wife.

 

 

[YorkshireTykeV5]

I did send a F&F request back in May 2018 but Nat West wouldn't budge 

During the divorce his ex-wife denied spending the money and said it must have been somebody else 

[BankFodder]

How long ago was the divorce.

Does he have any assets

[YorkshireTykeV5]

Divorce was finalised in 2020

No he doesn't have any assets.  All his money has gone on care home fees.

[BankFodder]

So I have to ask you, is it worth it?

How long will it take to clear the entire debt at the current rate of repayment?

If he has no estate then if he dies impecunious than the bank will have to write off the debt.

Oh dear!

Is there any particular reason why you feel that you should settle the debt?

How much of the debt do you estimate was incurred by the wife on her second card 

[Ethel Street]

Sorry to have to ask this, does the family member still have legal 'mental capacity' to make his own decisions? Some stroke victims do not.

And another blunt question, have doctors given any indication of his life expectancy?

When local authorities do a finacial assessment for care home fees aren't debts like this deducted fron his remaining assets? So wouldn't paying it off in effect just save the local authority money with no benefit for the family member? 

[dx100uk]

pers i would simply stop paying them.

not a very lot they can ever do to him.

if you wish simply write a letter to them stating payments will cease from xx date

because of ill health, pop in a few hospital letters, and ask for his involvement in the debt to be written off. - if there is any.

and if they wish to pursue the debt then they are quite capable of looking at the usage data and see that the balance was run up by his ex using her card with a separate number than his card whilst he was ill in hospital.

dx

 

 

[YorkshireTykeV5]

@Ethel Street he has limited mental capacity but refuses to take any responsibility for his finances whatsoever.   He is able to speak. During Covid he even fell asleep during a Zoom meeting with the barrister regarding his divorce!