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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be the only person concerned that the PTA treasurer seems to have gone missing....

583 replies

PTAmissing · 16/05/2016 07:06

With all the PTA money?

She's been treasurer for years, no children at the school anymore.

She usually attends roughly 1 of every 4 meetings. She hasn't been to one for 6 months. She won't answer the phone or the door, doesn't reply to emails or texts. Chair went to her house and she didn't answer the door although it looked like she was in. We have no access to the money or accounts and the school is lending us money to get back off her at some indeterminate time in the future.

We have the school fate soon and she has all the info on stalls etc not to mention the money we need to buy things! She owes one of the parents about £50 for things they bought from their company for the PTA xmas fate.

Nobody else seems concerned! I really got angry about it at the last meeting and said this is ridiculous, we have no idea how much is in the account, we can't get hold of her, we have no working float. Apparently she has family drama at the moment and thats why she's unavailable but she still wants to be treasurer. I raised the possibility that there could be something dodgy going on and got shut down by the chair who said its not possible as there are two signatories on the account (because she couldn't just forge a signature???)

AIBU to think they should be taking this a bit more seriously given there is over £7000 (at the last count) of money that has been donated by the parents fgs, not to just sit in an account that nobody can get into?!

OP posts:

Bolograph · 19/05/2016 08:39

Libel and slander are still illegal.

No they aren't. They are grounds for civil suits, for which legal aid is not available and no solicitor will take on risk. So unless the concern is that the treasurer is a Russian oligarch able to fund complex and protracted legal actions, this is not an issue.

They may have informed the governors

The PTA finances are nothing to do with the governors.

Clayhead · 19/05/2016 08:42

I'm not sure anyone said there weren't loads of great PTA volunteers! Just that, in this case, the PTA is not operating well or with any clarity and that's not just down to the treasurer but also the chair.

Pengweng · 19/05/2016 08:43

You can't even put another signatory on the account because you need all current signatories to sign the paperwork. Took me bloody ages tracking people down to sign my forms when I became treasurer.

I won't be happy with the situation and the lack of interest from the rest of the committee (just go to the fucking bank!!) and in your case would probably just jack it in because i couldn't be bothered with the stress. Are you sure no one else is a signatory? Our chair is also a signatory on our account.

whois · 19/05/2016 08:43

Oh god what a nightmare. Really really poor management from the chair /PTA in general.

how did it get to the stage where only she had access to the bank accounts? Chair tres and sec should all have access.

cozietoesie · 19/05/2016 08:43

Then who would the association likely be responsible to? That can't surely be a group that just continues on its merry way without oversight of any kind?

TheLambShankRedemption · 19/05/2016 08:43

The head is normally dual role of pta trustee and governer.

Strike illegal and insert can give grounds for legal action.

cozietoesie · 19/05/2016 08:44

They

Bolograph · 19/05/2016 08:47

The head is normally dual role of pta trustee and governer.

Then the head was being told in their guise of pta trustee, not governor. Same person, different hat. That they are also a governor is irrelevant.

can give grounds for legal action.

Could you remind us of the last successful libel action brought, since the introduction of the new Defamation Act, by anyone without massive financial means?

It's this sort of stuff that paralyses governance. "Oh, there might be Data Protection / Libel / Human Right Act implications" is used as a bogeyman to defeat the intended aims of the body. There is not going to be a libel action between the members of the PTA committee in a state school, unless one of them happens to have a spare quarter of a million quid tucked away to fund it.

TheLambShankRedemption · 19/05/2016 08:49

Just for clarity, if the treasurer belongs to a professional body for accountants or tax, they must disclose and annual return which includes questions around complaints and good standing. If this situation escalates to something requiring disclosure to the professional body, they risk being struck off. So if you are faced with that then the chances you will take legal action if you've done nothing wrong are significantly increased.

TheLambShankRedemption · 19/05/2016 08:49

And by nothing wrong I mean fraud.

Bolograph · 19/05/2016 08:57

So if you are faced with that then the chances you will take legal action

Could you tell us about the last time an accountant brought a libel suit against a prospective complainant to their professional body? Or, widening it, any professional? As you're raising it a something with a "significantly increased" risk you'll have a case to hand, presumably?

StealthPolarBear · 19/05/2016 08:57

I think you have done the right thing. Did your resignation letter clearly state your reasons?

NightWanderer · 19/05/2016 08:59

The OP has been very factual about the situation, the concern is that the Treasurer has been awol for 6 months, that they cannot access funds and reimburse members, that there has been no independent verification of the accounts for 10 years. These are her issues of concern and she is concerned there may be a bigger problem. There is nothing libellous about that. It's all the truth.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 19/05/2016 09:00

No meeting has been called. I'm resigning from the committee as of today. Concerned mum was convinced by chair that meeting was unnecessary and over the top

FWIW I think you're doing the right thing; for me this would go way beyond ordinary lassitude and well into neglect. There's absolutely no need to accuse anyone of anything in your resignation letter (and I know you wouldn't have done anyway) ... surely all that's necessary is to mention your concerns at lack of accountability re finances?

CaveMum · 19/05/2016 09:18

Definitely think you are going the right thing. I think you should personally ensure that all other PTA members are given a copy of your resignation letter, setting out your reasons as in your post, even if it means standing in the playground and handing them over in person.

Hopefully there is nothing untoward going on, but if it later turns out that there are issues everyone will be aware that you raised concerns that were dismissed by the Head and Chair.

Original poster

PTAmissing · 19/05/2016 09:22

Lamb I've repeatedly said I don't think the head or chair would be involved in anything dodgy. Hopefully the chair isn't either and is just bogged down with a home situation.

My concern is the 7k sat in a bank unable to be accessed. Money that was raised in good faith to be spent on the school. Not sat on in a bank. I'm uncomfortable sitting on a committee where decisions are made between a few people over text message. Concerned mum has been to the bank and was told we would need a special meeting to remove treasurer if we can't get hold of her. Happy to wash my hands of the whole thing.

OP posts:

lalalalyra · 19/05/2016 09:48

What a farce! I don't blame you for resigning, and I'd be very blunt in my resignation on your shoes.

Not only could they be jeapordisomb the school funds by their actions (if there is something dodgy going on with the treasurer), but if the treasurer does have major life issues going on right now then they could have already sorted things so that when she gets back they can say "and this is what has been done". Instead she'll have a mountain of shit to sort.

It's massively irresponsible for the Head to be lending the PTA school funds in this situation without a bank statement to prove the money is there and a detailed plan for reimbursement.

lalalalyra · 19/05/2016 09:49

*jeapordising

bakeoffcake · 19/05/2016 10:00

I would do the same as you OP. You've tried your best and there's not much else you can do.

I would put in writing why you're resigning and copy the HT as you don't know if she's getting all the info the chair is saying she is.

senua · 19/05/2016 10:00

You are absolutely doing the right thing OP. It has got to the stage where you have to worry less about the PTA and more about covering your backside. Get your resignation and the reasons for it in writing. Send to Chairman, Secretary and Headteacher. Copy in every member of the committee.
Are you still helping with the fete or washing your hands of that, too? (I would)

senua · 19/05/2016 10:10

Send to Chairman, Secretary and Headteacher. Copy in every member of the committee.

and put 'read receipts' on the e-mails.

AugustaFinkNottle · 19/05/2016 10:18

But why can't you access funds if there are other signatories? Is the system really set up so that no-one can do anything in connection with the bank account without the treasurer's signature? If so, that's self-evidently a mad situation that should never have been countenanced in the first place.

TheLambShankRedemption · 19/05/2016 11:14

That's fine then if you are not accusing her of fraud, there's so many posts about police involvement.

If there's 7k in the account and that's what you were all expecting, then it is unlikely to be a fraud matter.

I think the committee has due process to follow and it sounds like they are making a start.

ConferencePear · 19/05/2016 12:34

This situation is quite ridiculous.
Taking the kindest scenario and believing that the current treasurer is unable to act because of family problems she should stand down, if only temporarily, until they are resolved.

whois · 19/05/2016 13:13

OP I think you've done as much as you could, you can leave with your head held high.

I just don't understand why the PTA don't want to sort this out?

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