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Relationship over, ex keeping ‘joint savings’

111 replies

FieldRunner · 03/06/2025 22:08

First of all, I know I’ve been really stupid here. Ex and I have broken up, we had been together for nearly 4 years and been saving for a house for about half of this time. Ex works in finance and persuaded me that we’d be better pooling our savings as would receive higher interest. I transferred a set amount to him each month to put into an account which he said would be a fixed interest rate. Basically it transpires that a few months in he changed this to be invested in to a Stocks ISA. He says it isn’t simple to give this back to me as the money is tied up and value is volatile as it’s the markets (I don’t really understand this).

Does anyone know if it’s hard to get this money out of a Stocks ISA? I don’t know what to do next, he is ignoring my messages now. I’ve transferred over £15,000.

OP posts:
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CountryQueen · 05/06/2025 20:47

Yet more shite. “Breach GDPR by recording a phone call to her ex discussing their shared savings”

Fuck me 🤣🤣 definitely record the call OP

TunnocksOrDeath · 04/06/2025 20:12

He works in Finance you say? Interesting. If his job is regulated, so much the better.
Quietly gather as much evidence as possible that this was money that you transferred him on the understanding that he was keeping it as cash for your joint investment in property in the future. Old emails, texts etc. and anything recent where he implicitly acknowledges that.
Then if you don't get any sense out of him, you might want to ask him what the "ethical conduct team" at his employers would say about him obtaining funds from you on the understanding he would hold them as cash to use on a future joint house purchase, investing them in a different product without your knowledge, and then refusing to return your funds when requested after it became clear that the planned house purchase would not go ahead.
It's a nuclear option, but it might shake him into seeing sense if nothing else works.

LumpyMashedPotato · 04/06/2025 19:51

💯 record the call in full.

Ignore the you can't use it brigade.

CombatBarbie · 04/06/2025 19:40

FullOfLemons · 04/06/2025 18:30

Be wary of recording him @FieldRunner

If you record him without consent then

1 The recording may be inadmissible in any future proceedings so pointless
2 You will breach GDPR

Whatever he says is likely to be irrelevant

Ask him when he is going to repay you. Just keep returning the conversation to that.

If he verbally accepts he needs to do this then you can quote that in your letter before action and subsequent money claim.

This isn't quite true. I had to resort to recording conversations with my ex for my own safety. The one where he was gauding me with his usual bullshit of noone will want me, I'm worthless etc I snapped and said yeah that's why you pushed me down the stairs, dragged me by my hair and mentions to a marital rape and he answered you deserved it...... is being used in court.

RawBloomers · 04/06/2025 19:23

Leiths · 04/06/2025 17:41

It's your money. By putting it into a S&S ISA in his name he's effectively stolen it. Do you have anything in writing about the original arrangement? Presumably your bank statements show the payments.

I'd tell him he needs to pay you back now or it will be a police matter. It has been a volatile time for equities but a) that's his problem and b) most have pretty much recovered now.

His actions so far do not meet the necessary level for theft and OP does not have sufficient evidence of what was intended for it to get there. She would be wasting her and the police’s time trying to pursue this as a criminal case. She needs to follow the civil route which she should be able to make a good case for especially if she can get any written acknowledgment from him that the money was intended for savings.

Nina1013 · 04/06/2025 19:21

TwistedWonder · 04/06/2025 18:55

To work in investment management/banking it’s been a requirement for well over a decade that everyone we offer a position to had to have a credit and criminal check.

We've withdrawn job offers to people whose checks come back showing undeclared CCJ’s. If they’re upfront about a previous CCJ, we would take it on a case by case basis but don’t declare and the job offer is withdrawn.

Absolutely. But it isn’t clear what he actually does or if she actually knows what he does. So it depends what his actual role is, he may be bigging up his level of responsibility.

chlodk · 04/06/2025 19:14

I don’t know the legalities around this, but I do know that if I worked in finance, I’d be very nervous about my employer finding out I’d ‘mismanaged’ aka stolen money…

And dont beat yourself up about it - go to the relationship boards on here and you’ll see thousands of stories where women have given their LIVES to men who have wronged them. £15k is nothing in comparison.

Potteryblue · 04/06/2025 19:00

JustMyView13 · 04/06/2025 18:36

You can always record the call. But also, take notes as he’s talking, and email him summarising the points discussed.

Absolutely this.
Mention in the call that he never mentioned nor had your permission to invest your money.
It was agreed it was joint savings for your future.

Re the phonecall.
May well not be admissible in court but the police will listen to it if you make a complaint.

His bank may well listen to it.
She can provide a detailed typed minuting of their phone call in which she can say was witnessed by X person.

My friend was viciously abused by her boss for not agreeing to take on even more work of another colleague during Covid working from home.

Her son heard the raised voices and recorded the abuse.
He threatened her livelihood and her son can be heard intervening and telling her to end the call, that it was recorded and he intended to involve the police.

She emailed that night that she was going off sick and would be seeking outside advice on what occurred.
She reserved the right to involve the police.
She typed up what was said word for word from the recording, informing the company she was out sick until further notice.
She retained an employment lawyer.

She won a formal internal grievance. She was off work on full pay for 14 months.

They declined to listen to the tapes but accepted fully the statement from her son and her detailed minuting of exactly what occurred.

He had a "nervous breakdown" due to personal problems, went off sick and apologised unreservedly.
The company did not want this to ever see the light of day, certainly not to go near the WRC.
She works 3 days a week on full pay.
He is not allowed to have any contact whatsoever with her.

Record the call and have someone hidden listening in.

TwistedWonder · 04/06/2025 18:55

Nina1013 · 04/06/2025 18:51

He hasn’t stolen. Stolen requires there to be a proven beyond reasonable doubt intention to deprive. That won’t be proven here.

So this isn’t, and never will be, criminal. However, depending on his actual job, civil ends in a CCJ which may well result in employment termination/inability to find further employment. It will also impact his whole life, ability to mortgage, get credit etc.

So that’s what you focus on. You’ll go to court to get your money back if he doesn’t return it.

Just FYI, not everyone working ‘in finance’ is credit checked etc. I’m an accountant, and I’m not. A CCJ would still destroy my life though.

To work in investment management/banking it’s been a requirement for well over a decade that everyone we offer a position to had to have a credit and criminal check.

We've withdrawn job offers to people whose checks come back showing undeclared CCJ’s. If they’re upfront about a previous CCJ, we would take it on a case by case basis but don’t declare and the job offer is withdrawn.

Nina1013 · 04/06/2025 18:51

He hasn’t stolen. Stolen requires there to be a proven beyond reasonable doubt intention to deprive. That won’t be proven here.

So this isn’t, and never will be, criminal. However, depending on his actual job, civil ends in a CCJ which may well result in employment termination/inability to find further employment. It will also impact his whole life, ability to mortgage, get credit etc.

So that’s what you focus on. You’ll go to court to get your money back if he doesn’t return it.

Just FYI, not everyone working ‘in finance’ is credit checked etc. I’m an accountant, and I’m not. A CCJ would still destroy my life though.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:48

FullOfLemons · 04/06/2025 18:13

He already has

Well not until he clearly does not pay it back.

But I don’t think he plans to. OP you are acting like this is just a friendly delay from a partner. Treat this as fraud and seek legal advice.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:46

Nearly50omg · 04/06/2025 10:14

contact the CEO of the bank he works for and explain the situation and make it clear their employee has YOUR money and you want their help getting it back and are prepared to kick up merry he’ll to get it. They will help you I think as won’t want their company involved in any of this

😂

Yeah it’s really not as simple to contact a CEO and depending on the size of the bank they would ignore you.

TwistedWonder · 04/06/2025 18:43

I work for a wealth manager and S&S ISA’s are a big part of our investment products.

Depending on the fund manager and ISA type, he should be able to access funds without penalties. Most funds pay out on a T+3/4 basis meaning you receive your money 3/4 days after you request a redemption.

He’s been dishonest with you saying pooled funds attract a higher interest rate. An individual can only invest 20k a year so you’d have been better having separate portfolios.

Tell him you’ve taken advice and that you want him to withdraw your funds immediately and pay you the cash within a week.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:42

Hulabalu · 03/06/2025 23:08

I’m not convinced it’s a crime.
no written agreement between him & OP.

It’s a crime if he does not return her money. Whether she can prove that is a different story.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:40

ohyesido · 03/06/2025 22:59

He can sell the units for the value of what you’re owed, it’s a slightly longer process as he’ll have to contact the management company and complete the administration before they’ll release “proceeds”

Not with a stocks and shares ISA. He can simply sell them online.

Konstantine8364 · 04/06/2025 18:38

There are two scenarios here... either he did this in good faith, it's lost money and he's embarassed/trying to delay until it's gone up again and he plans to give you your money. This is probably fairly unlikely, but could be true.

Or he has no intention of giving you the money/all the money and will try and confuse you and mess you around into not giving it you back.

Personally to find out how genuine he is I would ask if he would meet with you, plus your dad or a financial advisor of your choice and go through the statements for the account and the current status of your money to agree a plan for returning it. Sometimes softly softly works. If he won't agree to this I'd do what the other posters are saying and go a more legal route.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:38

FieldRunner · 03/06/2025 22:58

His job is in finance at the head office for a bank, I don’t think he has to register with any organisation etc

If he is telling the truth about where he works seeks legal advice. I work in financial services and am also an accountant. I am subject to stringent checks at employment and ongoing and a fraud case / investigation would see me lose my job.

Give him a deadline for return of your money and in the interim seek legal advice.

JustMyView13 · 04/06/2025 18:36

You can always record the call. But also, take notes as he’s talking, and email him summarising the points discussed.

FullOfLemons · 04/06/2025 18:30

Be wary of recording him @FieldRunner

If you record him without consent then

1 The recording may be inadmissible in any future proceedings so pointless
2 You will breach GDPR

Whatever he says is likely to be irrelevant

Ask him when he is going to repay you. Just keep returning the conversation to that.

If he verbally accepts he needs to do this then you can quote that in your letter before action and subsequent money claim.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:28

Hulabalu · 03/06/2025 22:53

How is this theft or fraud ?
The value of her savings she gave to him has decreased
so he can’t give back what she gave him

It’s theft because he clearly has no intent of giving her her money.

It’s fraud because she did not provide him to “invest”. She pooled her savings with his assuming it was to be in a savings account not an investment vehicle. That he does not have her money is not her concern. She did not give it to him to invest. She needs to seek legal
advice immediately.

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:21

Also probably late now but never trust a “partner” with money in this manner. It will be a fight to get it back.

LaaLaaLady · 04/06/2025 18:13

FieldRunner · 04/06/2025 17:37

I messaged him again earlier and he said it’s easier to speak over the phone about it, he seems reluctant to put anything in writing. He said he will call me tonight and explain.

Record the phonecall!

FullOfLemons · 04/06/2025 18:13

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:05

Seek legal advice as it sounds like he plans to defraud you.

He already has

JHound · 04/06/2025 18:05

Seek legal advice as it sounds like he plans to defraud you.

Potteryblue · 04/06/2025 18:04

Can you have someone dependable sit in an witness the phone call?
You need to box clever quickly.