Not upheld: account closure and missing funds explanation complaint against Bank of Scotland plc trading as Halifax

Decision detail

Summary

The estate of Mrs E complained that Halifax had not properly explained what happened to money in an account set up for a grandchild. Mrs E passed away in 2015, and in 2023 her son and wife found old passbooks and contacted Halifax. Halifax explained one account had been made dormant and another was closed in September 2013. The ombudsman found the account was legitimately closed by Mrs E's attorney with proper identification, and the proceeds were paid into another Halifax account. Due to the passage of more than 10 years, further details could not be established. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman was satisfied based on available evidence that the account was legitimately closed by Mrs E's attorney in September 2013, not due to dormancy. Given the passage of more than 10 years, Halifax's limited records prevent establishing the exact destination of the proceeds beyond confirmation they were paid into another Halifax account. The ombudsman concluded Halifax had acted appropriately and did not need to do more.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website