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Original poster

Who pays this speeding fine?

64 replies

weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 10:46

A WWYD regarding paying a speeding fine. This isn’t causing any relationship angst, just interested in others’ perspectives.

A couple (A and B) have been together for 10 years, married for 3 years, parents for 1 year. Both have always worked full-time (on low/mid salaries) and split all joint expenses 50/50, paying individually for any personal expenses.

Since having a child, A has moved to part-time work to manage childcare and income is greatly reduced. B is still full-time. As a result, the couple have decided to pool all income so everything is shared together as a household – no more ‘personal’ expenses.

The day after this is decided, B receives a speeding fine in the post from the previous month. Should this speeding fine come out of the joint account or B’s personal account?

OP posts:
fucit · 04/12/2025 10:55

Joint account IMO. It’s not exactly someone treating themselves to something. I’d consider it a household expense if it was something like 34 in a 30 limit. If it was 60 in a 40 limit, then it would be a personal expense - because that’s more of a choice than an oversight.

And yes I am well aware of the additional consequences of 5mph. But still, many speed limits are fairly difficult to abide by and some are very badly set.

watchingplanesicantafford · 04/12/2025 10:57

Personal account. Why should person A have to pay for person B's crimes.

Asparename · 04/12/2025 10:58

I think B should pay.

Bournetilly · 04/12/2025 10:59

If everything is now shared then it should come out of the joint account.

CoralPombear · 04/12/2025 10:59

It has to be paid so it’s a household expense I would say.

welshpolarbear · 04/12/2025 11:00

B - it’s a personal expense.

Talipesmum · 04/12/2025 11:01

If you’re pooling all income, it will effectively be out of the joint account anyway? Or are you maintaining separate accounts as well as pooling all income? How are the separate accounts being maintained if everything goes to the joint one?

FWIW we have a joint account, all income goes in there. We do have some individual savings accounts but we use the joint account for everything except savings. We’d def pay a traffic fine from joint account. We pay all personal stuff from joint account too.

Bambamhoohoo · 04/12/2025 11:02

You say it’s all shared now so how can it come out of a personal account?

tbh I would say it doesn’t matter really. Everything needs paying for, moving money around pots is just an admin exercise

eta- just saw this happened the day after it had been pooled. I still don’t think it matters. What if A was the one who got the speeding ticket but has much less personal money?!

Limer · 04/12/2025 11:02

Personal account. The driver who broke the limit should pay, might teach them a lesson for the future. It's not a general household expense at all!

cinquanta · 04/12/2025 11:02

If everything is shared, why does it matter?

NuffSaidSam · 04/12/2025 11:03

If there are no more personal expenses then there are no more personal expenses. It doesn't work if you have a system that you then bend and twist when you feel like it. If everything is a family expense, then this is a family expense.

As an aside, I would add a personal expense budget into the family budget. Put everything in together and then agree an amount that each person takes out (the same amount for each person) each month to put in their own account and use for personal expenses (agree what these are).

LeopardsANeutral · 04/12/2025 11:10

How can it come out of the personal account if all of the money is pooled into a joint account anyway? It would seem pointless to keep back the exact amount just for the purpose of it being paid from a personal account rather than a joint one.

DallasMajor · 04/12/2025 11:13

It is either a joint account or it isn't.

Person A has the most to lose if there starts being exceptions.

Madickenxx · 04/12/2025 11:19

Depends on...do you allocate a set amount for "personal spend" each month? If so, it should come out of that. DH and I have joint finances and give ourselves a set amount of "pocket money" each month. If DH got a speeding ticket, it would most definitely come out of his money as I don't speed! 🙂

ChloeMorningstar · 04/12/2025 11:22

As a result, the couple have decided to pool all income so everything is shared together as a household – no more ‘personal’ expenses.
The day after this is decided, B receives a speeding fine in the post from the previous month. Should this speeding fine come out of the joint account or B’s personal account?

How will it come from a personal account if all the income is combined?

DramaAlpaca · 04/12/2025 11:22

If this was our house, it would be paid from the joint account. The one who didn't get the speeding fine would be very annoyed with the other, but all our money goes into the joint account, so...

CheeseIsMyIdol · 04/12/2025 11:24

Joint.

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 11:26

Would come out of joint for us because everything does.

You say you have no more personal spending but then say you do because it's an option for this which makes no sense.

Original poster
weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 11:28

The fine came through the day after this approach was agreed, but hadn't yet been enacted as both parties are paid at the end of the month. So at the time of the fine being received there was a joint account (which up until then had been paid into 50/50 for all bills/joint expenses and has some leftover money in) plus a personal account each (for personal expenses/savings).

From the end of that month all salary money and any expenses would go in/out of the joint account. Both A and B would retain their respective savings in the personal accounts but no expenses would come out. So the options are to pay the fine out of the joint account (before the system has technically 'kicked in') or pay it out of B's personal account – effectively from his savings.

OP posts:
muddyford · 04/12/2025 11:29

Mine came from the joint account. But I did the speed awareness course which was brilliant.

Waitingfordoggo · 04/12/2025 11:29

Hmmm. I had to do a speed awareness course recently which I paid for myself, despite working PT and earning a LOT less than my husband. It didn’t occur to me to ask him to chip in for my own mistake.

But we still have separate accounts in addition to joint accounts so it sounds like a different situation as you say all money is shared by this couple.

Waitingfordoggo · 04/12/2025 11:30

Just seen update- if the person has their own money then they can pay it from that. Unless the other person wants to contribute.

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 11:31

weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 11:28

The fine came through the day after this approach was agreed, but hadn't yet been enacted as both parties are paid at the end of the month. So at the time of the fine being received there was a joint account (which up until then had been paid into 50/50 for all bills/joint expenses and has some leftover money in) plus a personal account each (for personal expenses/savings).

From the end of that month all salary money and any expenses would go in/out of the joint account. Both A and B would retain their respective savings in the personal accounts but no expenses would come out. So the options are to pay the fine out of the joint account (before the system has technically 'kicked in') or pay it out of B's personal account – effectively from his savings.

Edited

Just sounds like a load of accountancy and hair-splitting for no reason. We don't have individual savings either, so if a fine was paid out of one's person's salary prior to the transfer to the joint accounts it would just mean less in savings so exactly the same outcome as paying from the joint in the first place.

I can't imagine nit-picking over this.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 04/12/2025 11:31

Sounds like he was driving like a dick and you resent having to pay towards the consequences of this. Just talk to him. If he regularly drives recklessly and it’s something you’ve said to him previously and he has chosen to ignore, just tell him you think he should be personally responsible for the fine.

Lifejigsaw · 04/12/2025 11:33

Joint

There are not more 'personal expenses' so how can it come from anywhere else?

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