Trying to bully me into paying debt for a company that is still doing business!

<p>Good day,</p> <p>I write this to you as I have no other options left. I have created an account on the banking ombudsman website and also lodged a complaint there.</p> <p>I am having serious problems with ABSA and no matter how hard or nice I try to be, they treat me like a ******** and is trying to bully me into paying for debt that was made by someone else.</p> <p><br />Background:</p> <p>In 2011 I was part of a small business with my then girlfriend and I signed surety on an overdraft account in my personal capacity. The account was handled properly and there was never a problem as long as what I was involved in the company. Around mid 2014 I decided to walk away from the business due to the ********* practices of my partner and so the relationship also came to an end. I went to the bank and all my signing powers and links to the business was severed and I instructed the small business consultant to remove my name on the surety for the overdraft account. To my knowlage this was done as the consultant never told me that it could not be done or was not done. As I walked out of the business with my old broken car and a bike I had to start over with noting. I received no compensation from the business for my years in service and had no problem with that, I just wanted to get away.</p> <p>In August 2014 I made sure that my name was removed for the CC registration (Proof with me) and I was convinced that there was no further ties to that business. I went about my life.</p> <p><br />Beginning 2017 I get a summons delivered to my new residential address stating that ABSA is going to sue me for money owed to them. This blasted me out of the water as its years later and up till then ABSA did not once contact me to say that there is a problem with the account. I immediately made contact with the lawyers handling the issue for ABSA and told them about my situation and that this is the first I have heard about this. The lawyers (Hammond Pole) instructed me to go to the bank to find out whats going on and why my name is still listed on the system.</p> <p>It took me 5 weeks with numerous visits to 4 different branches before the manager of the responsible department bothered to contact me. She did not even bother to phone me, just sent an email and said one of her people will contact me. Then a very rude and arrogant man from her dept called me and basically told me to go jump off a cliff and that they did noting wrong and that im responsible for the money because I did not make sure the bank did there jobs. HIS WORDS!</p> <p>I then stopped communicating with them at that department and tried to reason with the lady that is handling the case at Hammond Pole. She was as helpful as can be in the situation but as she is just a rep for the lawyers handling the case, she was not able to assist me with much. Turns out that the ex partner of mine then made another arrangement to pay her debt back and the case was then put on hold. My ex made no payments to the account and now the bank is on my case for the whole amount. I feel this is totally unfair as the business is still running (I have proof) but the bank has now latched on to me for some reason. I have even gone as far as to offer to pay one third of the amount just so that they dont damage my name but they came back rejecting my offer and said they want R17 000 within 7 days and that I then need to go get the money back from my ex. This is insane! How can the bank act like this?</p> <p> </p> <p>I really hope this gets resolved as I have worked very hard and had extreme hard times over the past few years to cover my personal debt with ABSA. I feel they are victimizing me as its the easiest route to take for them to recover some money. I find it shocking that they can not even establish that the business is still running by themselves and just took Campbell's word for it that she has no income. I had to send pictures as proof that the business is still running. That in itself is unacceptable!</p> <p>Please help!</p> <p>Kind regards,</p> <p>J**** Cronje</p> <p> </p>