I have a check made out to me by my son but he did not sign the check on the right side. Can I deposit it into my account? I plan to endorse the check on the back.
asked Sep 7, 2021 at 0:35
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16Are you saying that he didn't sign it at all, or that he did sign it, but not in the correct place?– Dan CCommented Sep 7, 2021 at 15:25
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18Well, ask him to sign it. Is something preventing you from asking him to sign it? If the signature was left blank then it's possible they are purposely delaying the check for one reason or another. Do not forge a signature or else you would be committing a crime.– MonkeyZeusCommented Sep 7, 2021 at 17:01
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3If this is a regular thing, look into online funds transfers in your/his banking website. Some banks offer an app. Checks/cheques are dying off in most of the world for good reasons.– CriggieCommented Sep 8, 2021 at 2:27
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11See also: "I took a blank check out of someone's check book and wrote an amount on it, can I deposit it?"– AdamVCommented Sep 8, 2021 at 14:22
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To clarify, is this a regular check or a cashiers check? Cashiers check don't need a signature– JonathanReezCommented Sep 8, 2021 at 18:19
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3 Answers
Without a signature, there's not even a hint that your son meant to authorize the check. The possibilities for fraud are endless.
That's why it requires his signature. (I seriously doubt whether the bank would accept it.)
Generally speaking if a check is not signed it is not valid and cannot be cashed or deposited. You should get your son to write a new one (or sign the one you have).
answered Sep 7, 2021 at 0:58
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5@DJClayworth Also while this is technically correct, checks that are technically invalid are processed without issue all the time. Typically if the account has the funds, the only time there's an issue is if the check writer, or receiver, take action with the bank themselves. Not saying it's worth trying to cash/deposit it, potentially facing fees - just that OP may find themself considering it, and I hope they find the information useful– TCooperCommented Sep 7, 2021 at 21:39
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1@TCooper You are not wrong, but they are also rejected all the time. I had a bank reject a check once because they thought the printed number in the middle did not match the digits for the amount on the right. Fortunately, I was able to just have the original person re-write a new check, but sometimes they do catch and act on errors much more minor than a lack of signature. Commented Sep 7, 2021 at 21:45
A check without signature is just a worthless piece of paper. On the other hand, if you deposit it online, it might be processed automatically, and if your son doesn’t complain, it might just work.
Don’t try it though, it looks too much like a try on fraud. There is too much risk of getting needlessly in trouble.
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1Invalid cheques are not necessarily fraudulent. You won't get flagged for doing it once in a while (not that you should do it deliberately).– NelsonCommented Sep 8, 2021 at 1:47