hot checks...

[untoldtech]

how long would you give a residential client to pay a different payment before turning over to the police? guy wrote a hot check and I know who he is he lives near me and I know the info is legit. but the number on file is his home line not a cell phone. I've emailed and called multiple times, I'm thinking two weeks. thinking of dropping a 'due immediately' in the mail invoice and if I get nothing in two weeks turn over. what would you do? balance is around 180

 

[nlinecomputers]

Check with local law enforcement. What you are allowed to do differs depending on what state and even what city you live in. Some places require a certain time to wait, sending a certified letter, etc. Others are the opposite. If you wait to long you can't file at all.

 

[pceinc]

Haven't had a bad check in ages. When we did I would scan it and print it on 17x22 size paper and put it on the wall. The offenders would usually come in within a couple of weeks to demand it be taken down. I would fulfill their request for the amount of the check plus $25 fee.

Other than that, check with your district attorney's office. Our district has a bad check program.

 

[Markverhyden]

Also check with your bank. They may have some info. But I would definitely contact the police. People do mess up and if it's unintentional get things taken care of right away. This sounds like this one may be a deadbeat.

 

[lcoughey]

When you say "hot" cheques, that is just another way of saying "bounced"? If so, the cheque is still technically certified and you can go to their banking institution and keep asking if there are enough funds in the account to cash the cheque. When you get lucky, cash the cheque while you can.

We did this once where it took us a couple of months to get it cashed successfully. The client had the nerve to contact us and tell us that we had no right cashing that cheque.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

You could also threaten to report them to the state attorney's office for writing fraudulent checks. Heard of places doing that before but check with the police etc and maybe a lawyer.

 

[Paul Rodgers]

Depends on the amount. Remember that time = money

 

[Larry Sabo]

If there are NSF in the account, you could ask the teller, "If I deposit x$, would the cheque clear?" (They aren't allow to tell you the amount in the account.) Repeatedly ask until an incrementally increased value for x is sufficient for it to clear. One of my colleagues did that and got all but a small amount of the cheque face value.

 

[mkeathley]

You know where he lives? Forget this letter business go knock on his door. Now is not the time to be using door bell's. A good old fashioned "BANG! BANG! BANG!" Should start the conversation off on the right note.

He STOLE FROM YOU. HE ROBBED YOU. Its possible, but extremely unlikely it was a mistake. So go talk to him in person and give him the opportunity to correct his mistake. If he refuses, handle as you would any thief that steals from you and your family.

 

[Moltuae]

When you say "hot" cheques, that is just another way of saying "bounced"?

The phrase had me puzzled too. Interesting to see that Canadians use the same spelling and colloquialism that we (UK) do.

I was expecting a thread about thermal stress testing or attractive central-European ladies.

 

[NETWizz]

The police aren't likely to do much unless you write the town, city, county, or municipality a bad check. For you, they will most likely do nothing or take a report (then do nothing). You CAN usually request a bank report it to the "bad check" system, which is like a credit card system... makes it hard for them to open a checking account at any bank in the future much like bad credit ruins a person to where they cannot get new credit.

Either way, it is likely to be treated as a civil matter; it is NOT like they are going to jail over it.

The police would be a good place to ask, first. Then check with a bank... Then the AG, and finally send to collections (or sue), but don't expect to ever get paid because you cannot squeeze blood from a turnip.

If you were an apple, the court could issue an order or decree - squeeze all day long and still never get orange juice.

 

[pcpete]

A check with insufficient funds at that dollar amount may just be a civil matter. What does hot check mean?

 

[Cornerstone Technologies]

Either way, it is likely to be treated as a civil matter; it is NOT like they are going to jail over it.

Not in California it isnt. I know for a fact that some counties do take this very seriously and its a major ordeal for the person that wrote the bad check. My ex-mother in law was one of those dirtbags, and it cost her hundreds more in fines. The issue is, it has to be over a certain amount, and the local district attorney would know the answer and may be interested in following up. To some governments, its easy money while using minimal resources.

If its less than $100, it probably isn't worth it. We havent had any issues with bounced checks, but we do not take them for unestablished clients or those that we know have an issue with payment. We are part of a small business group, and the same names always pop up with issues of payment, so we can usually head it off before its a problem. In any case, evaluate your policy and see where you can make changes to mitigate loss.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Hot check is slang for a check returned for insufficient funds.

 

[nlinecomputers]

In Texas passing a bad check is a crime along with the larceny of what ever you acquired with it. You file charges with the district attorney or the Justice of the Peace. Most counties have hot check round ups about once a year to haul in all the deadbeats on open warrants.

 

[pcpete]

In Texas passing a bad check is a crime along with the larceny of what ever you acquired with it. You file charges with the district attorney or the Justice of the Peace. Most counties have hot check round ups about once a year to haul in all the deadbeats on open warrants.

Is it different, as in criminal, to knowingly pass a bad check as to miscalculation and accidentally pass a bad check?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Yes which is why you have to make collection attempts by certified letter.

 

[Markverhyden]

It is true that a lot of locals will go after NSF check writers. But don't expect the cops to go the extra mile. While they will have a name and address they won't bend over backwards unless it's a repeat offender. Between budget issues and other priorities most of the time it will just go into the warrant bin after a couple of visits to the address. Hoping to snag someone on a traffic stop or one of those states that cancel drivers licenses/vehicle registrations for those types of violations.

While this is different, I found out that they are not that interested in solving some crimes. My daughter's parked car was totalled by a hit and run one night at college. Two other cars were also damaged. The car was towed off and nobody in the PD even bothered to look up the license plate to find the owner. When she found out and contacted to the reporting officer his attitude was "what do you want me to do about it?". And that was around a $6k loss.

 

[untoldtech]

just a follow up here, contacted the local DA office. Filled out the paperwork, from start to finish took about 30days to get my money, but I got paid the balance + $30 fee. If he didn't pay they'd prosecute/arrest him.

 

[glennd]

well done. i know in aus we have two chances of collecting on a rubber cheque of that value. so i don't take cheques at all with the exception of just one or two long time business clients.