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

Thanks all 😊

I'm going to sleep on it. You really are quite a judgemental lot aren't you?

I looked something up and discovered something that I don't know what to do with.

No animals or children were harmed - oh the hysteria!

Namechanged - you obviously don’t own your family home jointly with your DH. If you did, surely you would accept he needs to know about it

@Newchallenge

Do nothing. Surely this information is confidential.

The information is not confidential. It is matter of public record freely available to all members of the public for the purposes of protecting them so that they can check whether the person they have financial dealings is a bankrupt.

Same concept as having a sex offenders register except of course being a bankrupt is nowhere near as bad being a sex offender. Nowadays, there is less of a stigma attached to bankruptcy and is in fact a good way to wipe the slate clean.

Big deal. Chill out chippy posters!

She looked up some names on a public record, not that different than searching for people on Facebook.

As for your Sil she probably knows. If she doesn't it's her fault that she's too removed from the family finances. Either way don't say anything.

You really shouldn't have snooped. I suspect it's even against your contract of employment.

I worked in a bank, it was drilled into us that snooping was a sackable offence.

Why did you do this?

You cannot reveal this.

@PoppyWoods

Thanks all 😊

I'm going to sleep on it. You really are quite a judgemental lot aren't you?

I looked something up and discovered something that I don't know what to do with.

No animals or children were harmed - oh the hysteria!

Well perhaps you have learned a little lesson, OP. Don't go snooping if you don't want to deal with the consequences.

Oh, and don't try and pretend that you aren't relishing what you have found.

And will you be telling you whole family that you went snooping on them? Hmm? If not, why not?

Ok, fair enough. I obviously didn't read the thread properly. Perhaps it's my British pearl-clutching "but we don't discuss anything so crude as money" attitude coming out

@PoppyWoods

Thanks all 😊

I'm going to sleep on it. You really are quite a judgemental lot aren't you?

I looked something up and discovered something that I don't know what to do with.

No animals or children were harmed - oh the hysteria!

Oooooh dear. Careful when you come back to thread. Hell hath no fury like an outraged pearl clutcher scorned

Lol at the idiots who, in their haste to berate the OP over something that they know absolutely nothing about, have not read any further than the opening post.

ThisBeTheNsme clearly triggered. Wondering who’s been looking her up and maybe found a few skeletons…?

I think it would be very unlikely that she wouldn't know.

@PoppyWoods glad you’re going to sleep on it. Hopefully you’ll come to a decision after that. Have you told your DH about it?

Op you’ve done nothing wrong. I would personally have to tell my sister what I knew, but that’s me. What a complete overreaction to an open public government website! No she won’t lose her job it’s like going on google!

@DroopyClematis

You really shouldn't have snooped. I suspect it's even against your contract of employment.

I worked in a bank, it was drilled into us that snooping was a sackable offence.

Why did you do this?

You cannot reveal this.

I don't believe for a moment that you had an employment contract that forbid you to use the Gov.uk website

Did it also stop you using the Post Office website to check a post code? What about BT to look up a phone number?

There's no reveal involved

@Twilight7777

Op you’ve done nothing wrong. I would personally have to tell my sister what I knew, but that’s me. What a complete overreaction to an open public government website! No she won’t lose her job it’s like going on google!

It's not her sister. It's her SIL.

I am sure that the OP will be discussing what she's done with her DH.

I can’t believe the outrage towards you OP.

Is it your DB and SIL is his wife? Or is it a BIL from different family relationship?

I do get the feeling you don’t like them though and are being gossipy etc which of course will get peoples backs up here.

I would say nothing. I think SIL knows

MYOB

Maybe she knows and doesn't want her family knowing.
Don't say anything. Her and her husbands finances are none of your business.

@BIWI

You say absolutely nothing. It's none of your business. If I were her I'd be furious that you had done that - regardless of whether or not my partner was bankrupt.

Keep your nose out!

This. With bells on

BIL knows.. SIL knows... everyone knows... its Public info..

but manners should prevent you embarrassing them by bringing it up to them.. 🌸