Ex employer still not removed me from accounts- 11 years!

[Robertwars]

I would be grateful for any words of wisdom here- I left my job ( amicably) 11 years ago . As part of my role I was a signatory on accounts and a trustee for several trusts .

They had plenty of notice I was leaving and I was very happy to sign anything needed to remove my involvement. They were really tardy and it took years and repeated demands and a great deal of stress to get this done and they assured me it had been completed . However , they have been in touch again to say I am still named on some trusts and bank accounts and are asking me to sign more paperwork.

I am so annoyed and upset that this has come up again and concerned about any liability if they have mismanaged anything . I have asked for all the communication relating to this and plan to ask for them to pay for legal advice before I sign anything but wonder if anyone has any other thoughts . Thanks for any suggestions 💐

It was part of the job, so they run accounts and trusts for third parties for various reasons and as employees we were expected to be trustees and signatories . What I didn't bank on was still being on them a decade after I left!

Retired from my NHS job three years ago and still get everyone's annual leave requests. The new manager has to log on as me to sign them off! She wouldn't even know about them unless either me or the staff who have made the request contact her to tell her. 'Gemma... I've had a few more a/l requests to my old email. Can you sort? Thanks.'

What a pain for both of you ! Surely that would be an easy fix .

I have put in a formal complaint now , and asked for copies of various procedures. The reply is quite abrupt and feels very much like I am being scolded - they are telling me i need to reply promptly and are asking for information on things I havent had sight of for ten years . I have been cooperative and been flagging this for several years ( and each time told it is sorted) so this feels like the organisation have crossed another line- I do not work for them!

They will get back to me in a few weeks not feeling very hopeful . After that if there is not the offer of full legal advice I will be going to all the regulators for advice.

Wow. Well done.
Are they attacking (scolding) you because they don’t know any other form of defence? Although obviously just sorting it would be the ideal option!

Sorry if you’ve already covered this, but have there been any events that could be judged to have been “your responsibility” since you left the organisation?
Could you unknowingly have let any client down, somehow be liable for costs, for breaking a law, or otherwise be personally in trouble & not yet know about it?
If any of the above - or indeed if not - should the organisation provide you with a summary to that effect?

I really do think you deserve compensation when all this is over, it is totally unfair, stressful & disruptive.

If you were a trustee for any of the company's clients you should have been given a full indemnity when you left. If not, please take legal advice now as you could be held liable if any issues come to light during your period of trusteeship.

I'm not a lawyer but I work for a lawyer who deals with trusts. He took over several trust files from his predecessors and even a decade later an asset holder no one remembered signing up to will come out of the woodwork and we have to contact the "previous" trustees.

I fucking hate trusts.

I just want to add that no member of staff should take on directorships or trusteeships without full awareness of their legal responsibilities. It is up to you as an individual to be aware that these are positions of serious legal responsibility. Furthermore, if you leave an employment your really should ensure that you resign from every one of these responsibilities individually (and ensure you are given the appropriate indemnity) in order to protect yourself from liability.

Thanks for the kind words- it does help as I feel very alone with this, as they have the access to the information and support but I do not

I really don't know if anything has happened in the last decade which could put me at risk of liability but that is a major concern

Wow! Hard to believe these things go on

Thanks , I agree that would be ideal but obviously not what has happened here - and once I left I had no access to any information. So when I was told I had been removed from everything , I had no reason to believe otherwise.

I have asked for legal advice and indemnity but these were not offered or mentioned at the time of leaving or at any point up until the past month.

Just a thought @Robertwars - have you asked Citizens Advice about this?

It may take some time for them to find a suitable specialist, but as it is possibly a viable route I’d kick it off asap.

New trustees are appointed by deed and so I don't really see how you can have been replaced without your involvement. At the very least, you need to confirm your resignation from every individual appointment in writing to ensure you are released from liability. If any of the trusts are registered charities, please check on the website and inform the Charity Commission if you are still named.