Any Bankers here ? Tale of 2 banks

[shooterg]

Found out there is really only one bank in the whole dang country.

Loaned $300 to a family member( I know, bad idea) and took a post dated check made out to me.

Cashed it at the counter in my bank . 2 days later, checking my account online, I found out that the check was no good. I would've ASSUMED that was between the check writer and his bank . Uh uh. My bank debited $312 out of mine and the wife's joint checking account w/o notifying me. Fortunately we had enough in it that none of OUR checks bounced !

Now I know the banks have to get their money from somewhere, but to my mind, this seemed a bit off. The check was not deposited. If I did not have an account there, I assume it would've been the other bank's problem. The check was solely to me, yet they hooked funds out of our joint account. They couldn't/wouldn't even return the check, which is basically the only proof that money was owed me. So now we're down $612 and not a flipping thing we can do about it except hope the family member will make it good(bad odds on that, as I've found out he's gone batty about a loser of the female persuasion.

[rancher1913]

if you cash it at the bank on the check, they will decline it if no funds available, if you cash it at your bank they will hold you responsible and its your job to collect the funds from the bad check. been that way for a good while. use your debit card at a gas station and they will put a hold on your account for a lot more than you actually owe.

[shooterg]

Understand that I do have some responsibility. Taking it out of our JOINT account w/o even a call is what really sent me off the rail. Use checks only for bills I can't pay in person. Cash for everything else. What's a debit card ? lol

[jonas302]

The banks hate to lose money thats why they will not cash a check if you dont have an account large enough to cover it if your account is small and the check is big they will deposit it and make available when the funds clear your only down the original 300 plus 12 to cover the fee they already gave you the 300 on good faith that the check was good the fact that your wifes name is on the account doesn't mean a thing

[dtknowles]

When you cash the check at the counter at your bank they basically gave you $300 out of your account that they would replace when the check cleared. When the check bounced it looks like they took another $12 for the bounce which is a small fee. I think my bank charges $25. Since you got $300 in cash it would seem you are out $312 not $612.

Tim

[Plate plinker]

Lesson learned don't lend money to family,deadbeats,dopers,women chasers etc etc etc..........

[rockrat]

And if you go to the bank on the check to cash it, when you talk to the teller, say "if this check is good, I want to cash it". If it ends up bad later, IIRC, then you aren't responsible the bank is

[Minerat]

The reason you did not get the check back is they probably scanned it and then destroyed the paper check. You may be able to get them to print a copy for you as it should be in your account records. Don't be surprised if they charge you for this service too. Most banks in our area do not return checks any more only copies of the fronts and backs. More then likely it will have the other banks refuse to pay stamp due to insufficient funds on it which is better then the original check as it proves it was a kited check. Might check with your States Attorney General as to what you can do, too.

Some times you can ask your bank to resubmit it and if there is money in the account you get paid, but be sure to ask your bank so you don't get tagged the $12.00 again. Here it called fraud if some one bounces a check on you, you can collect double plus costs to recover the funds. Yes it's family but once they stiff ya they're just a related crook, sorry you got put in that position.

[Handloader109]

Was the check issued by the same bank you use? If not, you should have gone to his bank and cashed it there.

[waksupi]

A friend had a similar episode. He went to the bank it was drawn on, and was told there wasn't enough money in the account to cover it. This was a fairly large check, several thousand for a vehicle.
He asked the teller how much the account was short. Teller said, I can't tell you that.
He asked, can I make a deposit in his account? Teller said, yes, no problem to do that.
He asked, If I put in $50, will the check clear? Teller says no.
If I put in $100, will it clear? No.
If I put in $150, will it clear? Yes!
So, he writes the check, cleans the deadbeats account down to a few bucks, and wrote off the $150 as a good investment.

[MaryB]

If you didn't deposit it I do not think the bank can go after your account! They took responsibility that it was good when they handed over the cash. If you put it in your account then yes, they can and will reverse it, had a friend do it to me and they still owe me $250 for the deal.

[starmac]

Anytime you cash a check, they check your account first to make sure you are good for it. A month or so ago I was cashing a check that was drawn on the very same bank as mine. I noticed the teller write MY account number on it, so I ask her about it. She explained it was incase the check was bad (which I knew) I mentioned the check was on this bank, why not check his account. lol She did and scratched out my number. lol

Several yaers ago I was working out of town and cashed a certified payroll check on the other side of the state. The check bounced and the bank had an arrest warrant put out for me. It turned I had to pay them and file on the contractor.
The officer task with arresting me knew me well and told me to get it taken care of in the next day or so. I called the contractor, who also knew me well, and mentioned I didn't think he wanted me to be arrested, he sent some money over there pretty pronto.

[snowwolfe]

And if you go to the bank on the check to cash it, when you talk to the teller, say "if this check is good, I want to cash it". If it ends up bad later, IIRC, then you aren't responsible the bank is
This, but you don't have to ask if the check is good. They will only cash it if the money is in the account at that moment.

[starmac]

I ran into a bank in Arizona that had a policy of not cashing any checks over 1,000 bucks, unless you had an account there.
I told them that I had to call the old very grumpy old gent thaat had given me the check and tell him he had given me a bad check. They kept telling me that the check was good, it was just their policy, so I kept telling them if they wouldn't cash it, as far as I was concerned it was bad, so he needed to do what ever it took, to get me my cash. Finally after explaining the same thing to three different levels of managers, it was cashed, they did not want him to have to come in.
A couple of weeks later I just happened to haul another load for him, and started through the same thing, but the first manager took one look at me and told the teller to just cash it. lol

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Banks and playin' games with bad checks...

Not long ago, I received a $75 check for an item from a local sale. I deposited the check at my bank. Three days later the Check was returned "non-sufficient funds", the bank debited $80 (only tagged me for a $5 fee for a returned check).

The bank tellers at my bank are extremely helpful. They told me to take the "returned" check to that person's bank on the first of the month (luckily the other bank is also in my town). Because most Government fund transfers happen on the 1st and/or the 15th. That's what I did and I walked away with cash in hand...minus the $5 fee.

[GeniUS]

Found out there is really only one bank in the whole dang country.

Loaned $300 to a family member( I know, bad idea) and took a post dated check made out to me.

Cashed it at the counter in my bank . 2 days later, checking my account online, I found out that the check was no good. I would've ASSUMED that was between the check writer and his bank . Uh uh. My bank debited $312 out of mine and the wife's joint checking account w/o notifying me. Fortunately we had enough in it that none of OUR checks bounced !
There are actually a lot of problems. There are different situations with banks. There are few applications for convenient use as well. I just recently read about how to create a mobile banking app, I found https://dashdevs.com/blog/how-to-create-a-mobile-banking-app/ for this. There is still something to work with and something to improve. The best thing to do is contact the bank and find out all the problems that are bothering you. It definitely won't get any worse.
Now I know the banks have to get their money from somewhere, but to my mind, this seemed a bit off. The check was not deposited. If I did not have an account there, I assume it would've been the other bank's problem. The check was solely to me, yet they hooked funds out of our joint account. They couldn't/wouldn't even return the check, which is basically the only proof that money was owed me. So now we're down $612 and not a flipping thing we can do about it except hope the family member will make it good(bad odds on that, as I've found out he's gone batty about a loser of the female persuasion.

It was logical my friend

[Thin Man]

My wife sells Mary Kay cosmetics and rarely has trouble with checks. A few years back one of her customers gave her a bad check. Over the next 4 months the wife tried to cash the check at our local bank (also the customer's bank) but could not get it to happen. One of the tellers saw what she was going through and suggested the exact date when the customer's next deposit was scheduled to be deposited. When that day arrived the wife was the first customer inside the bank and got the check cashed! Three days later the customer called the wife complaining she had written checks to pay 4 other debts but all of them were returned. Took the customer a while to sort out the frictions she had with those checks but she learned to never let this happen again.

[alfadan]

2016

[.429&H110]

Oddest check I have ever cashed was for $40,000.
Set up a mortgage at Lake Sunapee Savings Bank, had my life savings in New London Trust.
They are 100 yards apart.
Cashiers check would not clear until next week, so I walked back across the parking lot, through the snow, in a freezing drizzle, and cashed the cashiers check. Took my walmart bag, glad I thought to bring a bag, full of cash back across the parking lot and asked them do they take cash? Well yes, they do and there is a form for him. Filled out the form form and everybody was happy.

Other odd bank job was my co-worker got in the mail a statement from Wells Fargo bank, showing he had $600. Trouble is, he no longer had an account there, closed it a year ago. So he went to the bank wrote a withdrawal for $600 and was told his account was closed, which of course it was. He showed them the statement, was told it was a mistake. Odd. Wells Fargo playing games?

And last? in 1972 I deposited my paycheck in the wrong branch, my checking and the paycheck was at a different branch, same bank, so my rent check bounced. Drat. Didn't deposit my paycheck at that branch anymore.

Back in the day kiting was an honored profession, borrowing over a weekend, those days are over.

[William Yanda]

"Back in the day kiting was an honored profession, borrowing over a weekend, those days are over."

There is still the "I'm so sorry, I was paying two bills and must have sent you the wrong check" ploy.

[fixit]

I'm at the end of an issue with my mortgage holding bank....a contractor representative asked to inspect our house after a hailstorm in July, and determined there was claimable damage. The insurance company sent a check for the first estimate, and everything went through as normal. Then the representative and the insurance adjuster did a second walk around and determined there was substantially more work that was insurable, and we got another for more than twice the original. The problem with all of this is that the checks were made out to me and the mortgage holding bank, who became apoplectic over the amount of the check. Instead of allowing for the standard rubber stamp signature, they have insisted on an entire raft of stupidity.....resulting in the contractor STILL not having the funds to start. As stands, it is approaching two months since the check was received, and we are still waiting!

[GeniUS]

I'm at the end of an issue with my mortgage holding bank....a contractor representative asked to inspect our house after a hailstorm in July, and determined there was claimable damage. The insurance company sent a check for the first estimate, and everything went through as normal. Then the representative and the insurance adjuster did a second walk around and determined there was substantially more work that was insurable, and we got another for more than twice the original. The problem with all of this is that the checks were made out to me and the mortgage holding bank, who became apoplectic over the amount of the check. Instead of allowing for the standard rubber stamp signature, they have insisted on an entire raft of stupidity.....resulting in the contractor STILL not having the funds to start. As stands, it is approaching two months since the check was received, and we are still waiting!

In these situations, it is helpful to continue communicating with your mortgage lender and insurance company.

[fixit]

I wish it was that simple. Our mortgage holder has been difficult to deal with. We have had miscommunication after miscommunication.,and for way too long in this odyssey, and until about a week ago, every time we called for progress, we were told a different story, or informed of another form that we had not previously been made aware of. About that time, it appears someone finally took ownership of the case. For a considerable portion of our ordeal, one or the other or both of us have been in contact with the main branch almost every business day! It has been an insane process!

[firefly1957]

Sometimes I think bank employees are idiots I actually had to get a manager to deposit a large check into my account a couple times and both times I was reminded that the funds would not be available for ten & 30 days. The frustrated look on the peoples face when I said that is fine I do not need the money now anyway was priceless . Odd thing is one (30 day hold) of the checks was from another bank from a over payment on a mortgage and they asked why the bank sent me so much? I said "THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSSINESS" probably not helping a bit.
If I can I always cash any personal check at the check holders bank years ago I learned about not cashing them on my own account when one bounced and got got nicked for service charge . In that case the guy did make it right paying me the extra .

[georgerkahn]

My old nightmare was waaay back when I had a couple of FFL's and stupidly had two share draft (aka checking) accounts in same bank -- a national one called Marine Midland. A fairly large sale (for me ;)) cheque was deposited by me, personally using correct deposit slip, to my business account. A few days later I wrote a cheque from this account -- which became the one and only cheque I ever "bounced" in my life! Turned out the teller put the >$1K deposit in my personal account. The vendor/receipt of bad cheque -- Buckeye Sports -- was not pleased, to say the least. Albeit I ran to bank and they acknowledge it was 100% THEIR foul-up, both my credit rating took a dive and I lost good standing status -- e.g., "no more personal/business cheques" from vendor. As much as I tried, cried, and whined -- the bank manager would NOT put something in writing, or even ring Buckeye to advise I was not the bad guy. The bank did refund -- in full -- the bounced cheque fee, and rather than formally close accounts I took all out of savings except for one dollar; and both share drafts except fifty cents in each.

[labdwakin]

OP: Your bank is legally obligated to return the check to you in some form if they're going to remove the funds from your account. The check or copy thereof is your "evidence" to begin legal proceedings to get your funds.