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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:
Original poster
weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 11:53

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.

Not at all. It's actually person A who thinks it should come out of the joint account, person B thinks they should pay from their savings. And there are no ongoing issues regarding B's driving.

OP posts:
Original poster
weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 11:55

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. A bit of a split, which probably explains why we also had different opinions!

OP posts:
divorcinganabsolutewanker · 04/12/2025 11:57

Whomever was driving pays for it out of their personal spends.

It's not a joint purchase.

cinquanta · 04/12/2025 12:05

divorcinganabsolutewanker · 04/12/2025 11:57

Whomever was driving pays for it out of their personal spends.

It's not a joint purchase.

There are no “personal spends”, only joint.

YellowCherry · 04/12/2025 12:07

Joint account. Start as you mean to go on.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 04/12/2025 12:12

weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 11:53

Not at all. It's actually person A who thinks it should come out of the joint account, person B thinks they should pay from their savings. And there are no ongoing issues regarding B's driving.

Show quote history

ill admit I hate the person A and person B questions. Someone was drinking recklessly to have been handed a fine and yes that person should pay it.

Tollington · 04/12/2025 12:35

The person behind the wheel at the time should pay

MrsSkylerWhite · 04/12/2025 12:39

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!

This.

Cucy · 04/12/2025 12:59

The person who received the fine should pay out of their own personal money, not the joint money.

Cucy · 04/12/2025 13:01

cinquanta · 04/12/2025 12:05

There are no “personal spends”, only joint.

Show quote history

They have both joint and personal money.

Lavenderandbrown · 04/12/2025 13:04

To echo @Tollington ….the driver of the car pays the fine with money they have designated for something extra or personal or in some way more theirs. No way am I paying a fine for my spouse or children. Pay the fine learn the lesson and drive the speed limit.

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 13:04

Cucy · 04/12/2025 13:01

They have both joint and personal money.

Show quote history

Only in savings, not general spending. If the fine had been received a week later it would have come out of joint as OP says they would have then fully pooled their current accounts.

It's so pointless to quibble over it when it makes so little difference to the total amount they have as a couple.

DH and I have both had fines over the last two years. Mine came with an awareness course, his did not. All fines paid out of joint account but we don't bother have separate savings either.

purplecorkheart · 04/12/2025 13:06

Person B was speeding so Person B pays

PineConeOrDogPoo · 04/12/2025 13:12

When married it makes no difference. Contractually all finances are joint regardless of names on accounts and salaries.

godmum56 · 04/12/2025 14:00

I think it doesn't matter. Essentially if its paid under the pre pooling arrangement, there will be less money to be pooled once the arrangement kicks in.

Cucy · 04/12/2025 14:00

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 13:04

Only in savings, not general spending. If the fine had been received a week later it would have come out of joint as OP says they would have then fully pooled their current accounts.

It's so pointless to quibble over it when it makes so little difference to the total amount they have as a couple.

DH and I have both had fines over the last two years. Mine came with an awareness course, his did not. All fines paid out of joint account but we don't bother have separate savings either.

Show quote history

Thank you!

I don’t really understand the issue then, if all finances are now joint then it will obviously be joint.

In other scenarios when not all finances are joint, then it would be a personal expense.

Bookpage · 04/12/2025 14:03

So you've pooled all spending but still have separate savings? I can't see how that works, but as all income and expenses are now shared, it needs to come from the joint account.

divorcinganabsolutewanker · 04/12/2025 14:06

divorcinganabsolutewanker · 04/12/2025 11:57

Whomever was driving pays for it out of their personal spends.

It's not a joint purchase.

Then the non driver gets a treat for the same value as the fine.

isthesolution · 04/12/2025 14:07

Bournetilly · 04/12/2025 10:59

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

This?!

Original poster
weatherthorp · 04/12/2025 15:49

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 13:04

Only in savings, not general spending. If the fine had been received a week later it would have come out of joint as OP says they would have then fully pooled their current accounts.

It's so pointless to quibble over it when it makes so little difference to the total amount they have as a couple.

DH and I have both had fines over the last two years. Mine came with an awareness course, his did not. All fines paid out of joint account but we don't bother have separate savings either.

Show quote history

This is it. A couple of weeks later and the fine would have come out of the joint account. A day earlier and it would have come out of a personal account.

It's an interesting one because the fine arrives in this financial limbo where the decision to pool finances had been made, but still a couple of weeks away from it coming into action due to when salaries are paid.

You're right it makes hardly any difference, and like I said in the OP it's not causing any angst. I was just interested to hear what others would do as we're rarely divided on financial matters.

OP posts:
cinquanta · 04/12/2025 17:19

Cucy · 04/12/2025 13:01

They have both joint and personal money.

Show quote history

So, which part of this am I interpreting incorrectly?

”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”

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 17:21

cinquanta · 04/12/2025 17:19

So, which part of this am I interpreting incorrectly?

”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”

Show quote history

OP mentions later that despite saying everything is pooled they actually still have separate savings from which the fine could be paid.

Arlanymor · 04/12/2025 17:24

So there are three accounts - joint household and then two individual for savings. B pays from their savings. Why should the joint account fund their misdemeanour? You do the crime, you do the time pay the fine!

cinquanta · 04/12/2025 17:25

DappledThings · 04/12/2025 17:21

OP mentions later that despite saying everything is pooled they actually still have separate savings from which the fine could be paid.

Show quote history

So, everything isn’t pooled. The OP needs to make her mind up.

At the end of the day, it makes no difference, the family as a whole will be down whatever the cost of the speeding fine is.

Cucy · 04/12/2025 17:26

cinquanta · 04/12/2025 17:19

So, which part of this am I interpreting incorrectly?

”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”

Show quote history

You are correct and I was wrong.

They do seem to have separate savings though.

In normal circumstances then the fine should be taken from personal money but if everything is now joint, then I’d suggest for ease, it should be from the joint account.

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