Discovered (by accident) BIL is bankrupt. Do I tell SIL?

[PoppyWoods]

Part of my job is to check the insolvency register. It's a public register, freely accessible to all.

I put in various names, mine, my parents, my sisters and brothers, not expecting to find anything. Anyway to my horror I discovered my BIL was declared bankrupt 3 months ago. It's definitely him as it lists full name, address and dob.

My SIL has never mentioned it. We're fairly close and she's disclosed very personal things to me in the past, so I'm wondering if she even knows. Is it even possible that he could go through the process and her be totally unaware?

My dilemma is, do I tell her or not? What if she doesn't know? What if she does know and she's so mortified she hasn't told anyone? What if she accuses me of snooping and interfering?

I honestly don't know what I do with this information (if anything). Appreciate your thoughts

@ThisBeTheName she started the thread by accident! 😆

Have you mentioned it to your DH/DW? Or are you too mortified to admit to what you did and know?

Maybe your manager needs to increase your workload and give you more important jobs to do to keep yourself busy

@PoppyWoods

OK, it wasn't by accident and I snooped, but now I know do I do anything with that info?

No Data Protection issues, public register

Still probably a sackable offence if done in work time or using work equipment

If it's only the Gazette then that's public record. If you worked for the Insolvency Service and snooped on family members personal details, different matter.

It's massively unlikely that she doesn't know about it. Although the stigma is a lot less than it used to be, bankruptcy is still a massive thing and I wouldn't expect people to be shouting it from the rooftops.

Still probably a sackable offence if done in work time or using work equipment

So is using Mumsnet and Facebook

@PoppyWoods

If intentially go looking for dirt and now you've found some?

Not your business and just plain fucking weird to think you need to bring this up with either of them and that it won't blow up in your face.

Lots of us do jobs that involve private information: you never ever gossip about it.

Oh ffs.

I've just looked up a couple of people I know. Shoot me.

OP. Don't say a word. Not for you to say anything. Even if she doesn't know.

I would be furious if a family member started poking their nose into my finances. None of your god damm business and if she knows or not that's not your place to tell her. Have you nothing better todo that get involved in other people's business?

Lol relax it’s hardly like she logged into his bank account

*If they jointly owned their house, they can transfer it to her sole ownership so they don't have to give up his half.

So chances are that she does know*

Have you done this? I’d be interested to know how you got around the Land Charges stop.

😆

I very much doubt that she doesn’t know.

It’s awful that you looked up your family, and probably friends too

I declared myself bankrupt - few months ago after struggling with debts. My husband has no debt and would be horrified. So no, he doesn’t know anything about it and I’d like to keep it that way. If someone I knew found out and told him I’d be devastated. It was my debt only. Please don’t say anything.

[quote luckylavender]@PoppyWoods - I wonder what your employer would think if they knew how laissez faire you are with such sensitive information. It may be a public register but I'd check your contract if I were you. There are rules around such conduct. [/quote]
I don't think so. This is scaremongering.

Honestly I can’t believe the faux outrage and bosom-hefting on this thread.
If there was a thread from a woman saying “I’m in shock, I have just found out that my DH was gambling in secret, ran up huge debts, was made bankrupt last year without telling me, and his trustee in bankruptcy has just applied to sell the family home and take half - what can I do???” You would all be saying (rightly) what a bastard, how could he do this to you.

But because the SIL has seen the bankruptcy on the public register designed for the purpose, you all say she is awful for looking and shouldn’t tell the SIL.

OP - print out the gazette entry, put it in an envelope and send it to her in the post. If she knows, no harm done. If she doesn’t, she should.

The website has now crashed, presumably due to overload from the pearl-clutching ladies of Mumsnet, speechless with horror at the OPs vulgarity, but secretly checking up on DH, DPILS, DNDN DHMQ, and DFuckingAnyoneTheyCanThinkOf!

Do nothing. Surely this information is confidential.

@Newchallenge

Do nothing. Surely this information is confidential.

No... it's not

NameChanged Christ. Good luck to you 🤨

@PoppyWoods

But what if she doesn't know?

Is it even possible to become bankrupt without your spouse knowing?

Well you put yourself in this position when you started searching your family!

What were you going to do if you found something??? You should have thought about that first.

Instead you've put yourself in a position which is crappy.

I don't have a lot of sympathy.

Lesson here is : keep your nose out!

There's a massive difference about finding out your DH has debts or bankruptcy that you'd no idea about and a more distant family member.