117
votes
I wrote a check with an unambiguous but casual written amount - why did the recipient's bank reject it for "invalid written amount"?
"thirty four ninety five" is not a number. How many currency did you want to pay? Thirty four? Ninety Five? Thirty four hundreds and ninety five cents? Maybe someone else added the "and ...
- 166k
67
votes
How does this scam work where a potential employer emails me the scan of a check to deposit?
The more I think about it the more it looks like a scam.
Signs of a scam:
They contacted you, you never contacted them. You can start with contacting them via an independently obtained phone number. ...
- 166k
64
votes
How can I deal with a legitimate check received that is made out to my deceased wife's name?
I'm sorry for your loss. In this case, you give it to her estate executor (if that is not you) who would then deposit the check in her account or in the account of her estate.
- 166k
60
votes
Why would the Bank not withdraw all of the money for the check amount I wrote?
"NSF" means "Not Sufficient Funds".
You paid a $27 fee for writing a check for an amount that exceeded the available balance on your account. The check bounced.
You should inquire ...
- 166k
42
votes
I wrote a check with an unambiguous but casual written amount - why did the recipient's bank reject it for "invalid written amount"?
Suppose you write me a cheque for "thirty four ninety five" and fill in the numeric amount as $34.95. I could easily add "and 0/100" to the end of the written amount, connect your ...
26
votes
How does this scam work where a potential employer emails me the scan of a check to deposit?
When you deposit a cheque, your bank will likely release the funds to you before it has actually 'cleared'. This means there is a period of time where the bank basically puts it on good faith that the ...
- 42k
25
votes
I wrote a check with an unambiguous but casual written amount - why did the recipient's bank reject it for "invalid written amount"?
The reason it needs to be, in your words, "proper" is that it is a legal, financial, contractual transaction, free from ambiguity. Much as you like casualness, this is not the place for it. ...
- 251
20
votes
How does this scam work where a potential employer emails me the scan of a check to deposit?
Above all, DO NOT SEND ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THEM OR ANYONE EVEN SLIGHTLY CONNECTED TO THEM, OR THIS "JOB", FOR ANY REASON AT ALL!!
Currently it sounds like you're only being set up for a ...
- 2,266
19
votes
Accepted
Checking system vs. SEPA and the like
Am I missing some downsides of the modern systems and maybe disregarding some major advantages that regular checks have?
No.
Wouldn't the customers and banks benefit from abolishing the antiquated ...
- 166k
19
votes
Checking system vs. SEPA and the like
Not everyone has a bank account. Sometimes that is because of distrust of the banking system. Sometimes that is because they don't have the documents to open a bank account. Sometimes that is ...
- 26.5k
17
votes
Why would the Bank not withdraw all of the money for the check amount I wrote?
I bank with Chase and they define two balances in my account:
Available balance
The amount of money in your account that you can use right now. You can find this balance on receipts you receive at ...
- 8,287
13
votes
I wrote a check with an unambiguous but casual written amount - why did the recipient's bank reject it for "invalid written amount"?
If your words aren't completely clear, the only reasonable thing the bank can do is ask you to write the check again. And as has been pointed out, the example given is less unambiguous than the OP ...
- 42.9k
13
votes
When to claim check dated in one year but received the next
When you deposited the check is not important. Because if that was true and you knew the tax rates were going down significantly in January you could hold all your December checks and maybe even your ...
- 136k
11
votes
How can I deal with a legitimate check received that is made out to my deceased wife's name?
Once I was officially appointed the executor of my mother's estate, I was able to open an estate account in her name. Then I could deposit checks made out to her and write checks to distribute the ...
- 5,271
9
votes
When to claim check dated in one year but received the next
Quoted from https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/06-0005.pdf (2006):
Generally, we consider checks income to a cash method taxpayer in the year he or she
receives them unless constructively received in an ...
- 99
8
votes
Checking system vs. SEPA and the like
The other answers aren't exactly wrong, but the real problem is that there are 4800 banks in the US. Not 4800 branches, 4800 separate banks, with a very long tail of small local banks that are ...
- 149
8
votes
What if the numbers and words I wrote on my check don't match?
If the check is paid, the written words would take precedence. So if it is paid, it should be paid for 209.00 as written. However, it may take some time for the bank to notice the discrepancy. It ...
- 26.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Why would an insurer ask for a voided check instead of account+routing numbers to send an electronic funds transfer (EFT)?
Some companies think that some people don't know what the numbers mean on the bottom edge of the check. Therefore asking for the check means that the company can get get the numbers from the check/...
- 136k
7
votes
How does this scam work where a potential employer emails me the scan of a check to deposit?
While they might to try to steal money from you right away, this might also just be a way to prepare.
They ask you to do something weird - print a check - it clears, everything went well.
Next time ...
- 447
6
votes
What can I do if I found an old uncashed check?
Since that check is ten years old, you shouldn't try and deposit or cash it. The bank would be expected to reject it.
In my experience after a few months to a year an employer will reach out and try ...
- 136k
5
votes
I wrote a check with an unambiguous but casual written amount - why did the recipient's bank reject it for "invalid written amount"?
In the US there is a specific way of writing the "legal amount", i.e. the amount spelled out in English, on a check. The Code of Federal Regulations (31 CFR 240, I think it is) is pretty ...
- 51
5
votes
When to claim check dated in one year but received the next
You always record a payment to you when you receive it. The only exception is paychecks which are dated on the same day as the check was issued.
So, in your example the money is recorded as a credit ...
- 9,775
4
votes
How to wire a check internationally (US to China) without a bank account?
How's bitcoin an option? Not sure why it's even relevant. I've never heard of a way to mint bitcoins using paper checks.
Your alternatives are:
Deposit the check in a Chinese bank. It will take long ...
- 166k
3
votes
Advanced bitcoin/check scam?
Following the comments - your situation is slightly different than a garden variety scam questions here.
You're providing services of personal nature to people you actually meet in person. The bitcoin ...
- 166k
3
votes
Accepted
Gnucash: How do I handle a bounced debit order
There are basically two ways of handling this -
Because the cheque bounced, the overall net effect was that no money left your account in the end. So if you had already entered a transaction in ...
- 1,433
2
votes
When to claim check dated in one year but received the next
The income is taxable when it is actually or constructively received. However, the concept of constructive receipt is sometimes complicated.
Consider the 1987 case of Baxter v. Commissioner of ...
- 16.9k
2
votes
I wrote a check with an unambiguous but casual written amount - why did the recipient's bank reject it for "invalid written amount"?
Does the recipient have a case for getting their fee reimbursed?
IMHO, yes. If not from the bank, then from you.
I believe the fee is mostly to deter fraud attempts. If the check was deposited at a ...
- 47.2k
1
vote
Check made out to wife and husband
It depends on the bank and your account situation.
If you have a joint account, you can both sign and deposit yourself most of the time.
If you don't have a joint account, I would both go into a ...
- 76.1k
1
vote
How can I see the endorsement information on the back of cancelled checks?
What I do if I want to see the endorsed side of the check?
Talk to your bank. If you only want to see the reverse side on a handful of checks each year, they may for a small fee be able to provide ...
- 136k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible