sorry if im posting this in the wrong place, but im lost. i recently tried to pay a bounce check and i send them a payment with a money order. i got the money order back and a letter saying they could not accept payment any longer and my check has been refered to the attonery general office where i live. Well, my question is what will happen next? This is my first check i have ever had that bounced. The amount of the check was for $50.00. Does this mean there is a warrent etc. i have not recieved any letter from the county.help! thank you
Don't worry. Bouncing a check is a lot different than kiting checks. You only have a problem if you wrote the check with the intent to defraud, or had no intention of honoring it. Many states have regulations regarding how much someone can collect from you for a bounced check. It usually is limited to $25-30 dollars. Some states allow for two or three times the check amount or $100 dollars, whichever is less. Have you tried calling the creditor? Explain why the check bounced etc...
untrue. In georgia, places like publix will file a warrant against you in no time. An officer will show up and arrest you. I kid you not, i've seen it done. A criminal record and the fines/community service are most certainly not worth it. I'm sure someone will accept payment for the check plus the fee's they charge.
They might arrest people in Georgia for bouncing a check, but in the rest of the world, the vendor has to prove intent to defraud. If everyone who bounced a check got arrested, half of the adult population of the U.S. would be behind bars. Also, attorney general is not where you go to get someone arrested normally. Traditional criminal procedure is that this would be referred to a district attorney or prosecutor.
Most stores just want their money...you pay like $25 extra on top of the price of the check in CASH...plus what every your own bank gets you for...
Check your local statutes sometime regarding unpaid checks. I know for a fact in georgia, if you do not make good on a bad check, its a misdermeanor. If the check amount is over $500 (per check) its a felony. Those check cashing places will give you like 2 weeks to pay (After the check bounces) before they will file a warrant against you..
In my state, it is a misdemenaor as well. Locally, the DA has setup a bad check unit. A merchant must make 2 attempts to get payment and then, they turn it over to the DA's office. They write a letter telling you you have until a particular date to come in and pay the check plus, a fine. If you don't a warrant is issued for your arrest.
As a fellow peach state resident I can confirm sam's statements. In GA you can be arrested one bad check.
Yep, VA also. Under $200 is a misdemeanor, $200 and up is a felony. Most merchants will let you pay the check. I know Walmart just redeposits them, and if that takes care of it, nothing happens. After a couple of tries to collect it, some of them get mad and file charges. However, since I live in a large metropolitan area, almost every merchant uses Telecheck, SCAN, or some similar service. In those instances, the check is guaranteed by the service, and the service cannot bring charges and claim that you wrote them a bad check (it's in VA statutes), so it then becomes a civil matter only. But these guys will devastate your financial life. I know people who inadvertently wrote one bad check and had all the bank accounts closed - can't get new ones anywhere.
Re: bounce check-*Texas caveat* Texas law is very similar to Georgia. However, be aware that in Texas, when you go to the DA or other official to pay the bounced check, they will run you through the criminal justice system to see if you have any other "unfinished" legal business. If so, you usually are taken to the "big house" on the spot. One valid reason for calling beforehand and ensuring that you have satisfied all obligations - tickets, back child support, fines, etc.
Re: bounce check-*Texas caveat* Here's a great resource that discusses state-by-state civil and criminal penalties for writing a bad check: http://www.nationalcredit.com/badcheck.html Doc
lb, here we go. Ask the banks that do it. I disagree with what they do, but people need the information so they can handle their affairs appropriately. So I post the information. I do not intend to close all my bank accounts. I know how to stay out of trouble.
I can't believe they will actually lock you up for bad checks, in my state (AK) I have never heard of this being done, there are criminal violations, but I have never heard of the law being used. You would think the DA would have better things to do than arrest people for bouncing a check. The normal course of action in my state is charging a $25.00 fee and sending it to a CA. Thank god for overdraft protection.
They will also send a sheriff here in Virginia. You can be arrested, and get prison time. The person receiving the bad check doesn't have to prove anything, esp. if you made no attempt to pay it immediately. It's nothing to play around with. Not only can you spend time in jail, it will affect your ability to get a checking account. I used to collect many a bounced check, after every attempt was made to give the person an opportunity to rectify the situation.
<Also, attorney general is not where you go to get someone arrested normally. Traditional criminal procedure is that this would be referred to a district attorney or prosecutor.> Some states just requires a trip to the magistrates and the police station by the person who took the check. No attourney necesarrily involved, but sometimes people will anyways
Law or no law NO proof NO pay period. You just bounced me a 500 dollar check-When are you going to make the check good to me,or should I just send the sheriff after you?
