Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with check

Altered Rent check - Memo line erased

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:08:53 -0800

My rent check is being altered every month, the memo area completely blacked out. Feeling at risk, what are my options? Hello. I am paying rent, the personal check I write every month contains a memo line reading "Rent for July 2009".

Every month my landlord completely blacks out the memo line. It may be for their own protection, but I am feeling I should do something about this.

I understand the Memo line is not enforcable, and my bank will still fill the check regardless of this obvious alternation.

The check is payable to my landlord, First and last name.

What can I do to ensure my checks will not be altered? should I go to my bank and tell them not to cash any checks that are altered? I use a carbon copy checkbook so I do have a copy of each check that was altered.

If it matters, this money is going to my parent whom I am paying a small amount for rent each month to continue living in the house.

We are currently not on good terms, but that is besides the point- I am fulfilling our agreement!

Comments? Thank you

Liabilities and Clean up

MD06 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:57:29 -0800

Stopped-payment on a check when realized work performed was faulty. Notified of the stop-payment, recipient immediately sells check to a check cashing place. Check cashing place wants $ from the check writer. Check writer is concerned of legal liabilities and its potential effect on his/her credit. Who is legally liable? Resources to consult? Recourse options? Hired a handyman(H) for a job in VA. Paid with a personal check($2-3k) when told the job is complete. Found the work faulty, with damages developing. Notified H that a stop payment will be placed on the check until resolution. H immediately cashes the check at a check cashing outfit. Check cashing place demands principle $+fees+interest, threatens to send to collection.

Is the writer of the check legally liable to the check cashing place? (principle only? fees/interest?)
If so, what are his/her rights? Suggestion of resources to consult(other than an attorney)? Recourse options other than BBB?

May or may not be relevant detail:
Work is faulty due to inappropriate materials used. H admits to using inappropriate materials. Manufacturer specification clearly warns against and predicts additional damages will result in time.

Thanks!

Lemme aloooone!

Tequila Mockingbird — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:51:06 -0800

My apartment management has started to drive me nuts. For a month now they've been claiming that my August check has bounced - except it very clearly hasn't, with bank statements shown to them to back it up. Yesterday, I was told that I'm still on their late list for payments. Argh! How the bloody hell do I make this go away? It's ridiculous! I send every check using certified mail, so I know exactly when the company receives it. First week of August, they got the check and my bank processed it and withdrew the rent amount from my checking account. It was all standard, I kept track as I always do, and thought nothing of it.

Then on the 11th of September, a whole month later, I get a letter stating that this particular (numbered) check bounced. Impossible, right? It was already processed a month ago. I print statements, that very check as scanned by the bank, etc. and bring it to my manager, who lives within the building. She looks it over, agrees it makes no sense and promises to talk to the company on my behalf.

And then we go in circles that have not yet broken. They say the check was returned, I say the evidence to the contrary is conclusive, they tell me otherwise, on and on and on. I really can't deal with this anymore, because it is so senseless. I have never had bounced check fees on my account, I have never put a stop payment on a check, and I just don't know what else to do.

What would be the best next step, to make them understand what I'm telling them? I'm flying out of the country on Saturday, for a week, and the fact that this hasn't gone away yet is maddening.

(From southern California.)

Banks with Deposit@Home check scanning services?

sdis — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:02:35 -0800

NOW are there any banks with Deposit@Home check scanning? (That aren't USAA) This has been asked before, but it's 2 years later and one figures that there should be some progress on this front.

For years, USAA has offered (to its military clients only) the ability to scan the front and back of a check, send it to them electronically, and poof, your check is deposited. I'm a private, non-business, non-military USAA customer, and I don't get access to this. It's been 2 years since this was asked on MeFi; any updates?

Googling has so far informed me that some company called Checkfree has made a software package to sell to banks for this purpose in Feb, 2008, but I can't seem to find any banks promoting it. If this is available somewhere, where? If not, why on earth not?

Can we get to our money?

setanor — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:56:40 -0800

We deposited two USD checks to open a new Scotiabank account that are being held for quite a long time. Is there any way we can reduce the hold time? We just moved from the US and opened an account last week. We had two checks - US Govt. issued, from a Stafford loan - that we deposited in a USD account as an initial deposit. We heard that there might be a "maximum" hold time of a month, but we made the deposit anyway.

Well, turns out that's the hold time, and we really need to be able to access our money sooner than that. I've dealt with management at our branch, and they say nothing can be done. Has anyone experienced anything otherwise? Would it be possible for us to have the issuer contact the bank, or something similar?

DIY Backround checks

1830 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:48:16 -0800

How do I become my own private investigator This is not a question on how to become a private investigator, but a question on how to do the many things a private investigator does by myself. A DIY sort of thing. Like background checks, criminal checks, credit checks, records of employment and any other information I can find on some one.

I am mainly wondering about this because I wish to do it on my self out of curiosity and for my benefit, just to see how much information a person can acquire on me with my personal information and help me know what other may know when I have to such checks done on me. For the curiosity part, I would like to know how to do one myself, on myself. As for benefits, I wish to know how to do this when I hire people, (lawyers, babysitters, corporations that may be fraudulent or not legitimate) or about companies I may wish to work for (do not want to end up working for a company about to go bankrupt nor a shady one)

Any suggestions?

What is the real definition of a "business day"?

Sonic_Molson — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:25:47 -0800

Has my cheque gone through it's 5 business day holding period yet? I'm wanting to make an RSP contribution to my ING Direct bank account from my Royal Bank of Canada savings account before the deadline in < 4 hours.

The problem is that the money I wish to use was deposited into my Royal Bank account on February 25th, and they have a "5 business day" holding period.

It's been barely more than 5 days, but has it been 5 business days?
The bank is open on the weekend, but something tells me that isn't their definition of a business day. Is it?

Help me find out if these nice-seeming tenants are actually defaulting murderers.

ignignokt — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:04:44 -0800

LandlordFilter: Who's got credit and criminal background checking service recommendations? So, I have some applicants to rent my place out, and now I need to check out their viability as tenants. I can check on their work and rental histories by calling companies and landlords myself, but I need to pay someone to do credit and criminal background checks. Googling turns up a lot (including this, which appears both tempting and suspicious), so I'd prefer to go with something MeFites have already used without getting burned. Can anyone recommend a service?

In regard to credit, I'm more interested in defaults and bankruptcy than I am in a credit score number.

If I WERE a complete idiot, I MAY have done THIS....

Spyder's Game — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:02:06 -0800

Sensitive information left out on a desk...uh, hypothetically. Assume for a second that I'm a complete idiot. Imagine that I, hypothetically, left out some paperwork on my work desk overnight. This is a light traffic area, and unlikely to be seen or noticed by many. Paperwork was upside down. Unfortunately, this hypothetical paperwork contained a voided check with my bank, routing number, account number, my name and my (hypothetical) wife's, and our address.

What kind of damage could someone do with information like that?

How would they do it? Would they need to make up a fake driver's license with my name and their picture on it?

What should I be vigilant about looking at to avoid losing any money for my hypothetical boneheadedness? Bank statements? Should I think about putting a freeze on my account?

Anything else I should do, or be aware of?

Is the mechanic ripping me off?

fogster — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:54:05 -0800

What would you charge to diagnose a check engine light and replace the thermostat in a 2003 Toyota Highlander? My check engine light came on, and I worried about damaging my engine, so I'm going late to work while I wait for repairs.

They charged $89 to "diagnose" the check engine light, and $189 (parts and labor) to replace a faulty thermostat.

It seems to me that it would take 2 minutes on an OBC-II reader (which, coincidentally, cost $89), and that a thermostat would be a $5 part. But then again, I'm the one at the dealership because I have no idea what was wrong.

Is $275 reasonable for this, or is this $265 profit on $10 parts an work?

I just got $449 unexplainable dollars from my old health insurance company. Is it mine for keeps?

juliplease — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:32:40 -0800

I just got $449 unexplainable dollars from my old health insurance company. Is it mine for keeps? I recently became eligible for health insurance through my workplace, so I canceled the personal health insurance plan I'd been using. I didn't tell them that was why, though. I told them it was because I was frustrated with the inconsistent customer service I got when I needed a three part procedure. I had called ahead and was told they would cover all three parts, and then they only covered two, leaving me with a $200 bill.

When I called to get more info, I got three different reasons for why. I wrote a strongly worded letter and canceled the plan when my new insurance kicked in.

Tonight I received a check from the old company for $449. There's no letter, there's no mention of the check in my online profile, but the check has my name on it. Do I call them and deal with it, or just feel really proud of my strongly worded letter and start holiday shopping a little earlier?

Pragobanky?

DLWM — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:48:07 -0800

Any bank recommendations in Prague? I need to open a Czech bank account so I can get direct deposit from my Czech employer. My main bank account is in the U.S., so the Czech one would be for checking only -- savings not required. Anyone have any experience and suggestions?

All I'd be using this for is simple checking... withdrawing cash at the ATM and using a check card for purchases. Being able to check my account online would be a major, major plus, though. And of course I want to keep monthly fees and ATM/check card usage fees as low as possible...

Oh, and in case it's not clear: I'm physically located in Prague. Using the account outside of the country would be nice, but isn't that high on the priority list.

Can I check if I'm still registered to vote or do I need to register again?

eatcake — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:54:28 -0800

So I registered to vote in MA in 2004 but I've moved a few times since then. Can I check if I'm still registered or do I need to register again? I've searched online for about 2 hours now but I can't find any information on how I can check whether I'm still registered.

Now....I know I can re-register with my new address, but I'm wondering (assuming my registration is still good) if I can just leave it be and go to my old town (where I was living in 2004) in November 2008 and cast my vote there.

The only piece of information I was able to come up with is the main telephone number for the town hall of where I used to live, so I can call them also but I don't want to go bouncing around from department to department until I may or may not reach the right person.

I want the debates to be annotated after the fact, a la pop-up video.

vytae — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:08:30 -0800

Has anyone seen a pop-up-video style version of the presidential or VP debates that checks facts and names? If not, is there any organization I could suggest this to with any reasonable hope of having them implement it? I know FactCheck.org and other various news agencies have published lists of selected falsehoods and mistakes, but I would really love to have "true"/"not true"/"his real name is..."/"the actual number was..." info show up on my screen as I watch the recorded version of each debate. I feel like this idea would have enough mass appeal that somebody on the internet (if not a major news outlet) should have done it already, but my searches turn up nothing. Have you seen this anywhere? Can you think of anyone I could suggest this to, who could put this kind of thing together? (I'm half hoping that someone like CNN would love to make this happen, they just haven't come up with the idea yet. Maybe I'm crazy.)

Unsigned check

jozxyqk — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:15:11 -0800

How can I deposit an unsigned check? As a gift, I received a check from a family member in the mail, but they forgot to sign it.
Is there something I can do so I can still deposit it?
Is there any way to do this without mailing it back to them to get it signed, or voiding it and asking for another one?

What's the best site to conduct background checks?

thewittyname — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:58:15 -0800

What's the best website to research someone's background? I know there are several websites where you can conduct background searches on people, usually for a fee. Which ones are good, and which ones should I avoid?

Check Debit Madness

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:42:27 -0800

Our bank account was debited for a check issued by a different bank. What in tarnation? I gave my doctor a $20 check issued from my Small Town Bank account, check number 1234.

My Small Town Bank website informs me that we were debited for $57, allegedly from check #1234. When I click to view the image of the check, it shows a check from someone else's Chase bank account! The name is different, the routing number is different, the bank is different, the account number is different, the check number is different, the amount is different. The only connection is that both checks were payable to the same doctor.

The money is being refunded. Our Small Town Bank advisor said she'd never seen anything like it in twenty years, and blamed my doctor's bank (but was unable to reveal which bank that was). I'm just glad this other person didn't get a $10,000 hip replacement.

So how did this happen and who's to blame?

This is in the USA.

Will the government be taking more of my money?

TheArpenter — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:46:04 -0800

Will I be losing my stimulus check because of back student loans that I am now paying? Basically, I was a deadbeat and didn't pay my student loans for... oh about 4 years. Yes, it was dumb. Now, I have decided to be a grownup, and two months ago started paying them after their seized my tax return. I created a schedule of payment and have not been late.

Will I be losing my stimulus check? According to the collection agency Sallie Mae uses they will no longer be going after my wages to pay this debt since I have created a payment plan with them.

I am in the US, and thanks for all your help. (Please be nice, this is my first ever post on anything Metafilter!)

Was I approved? Or no?

heavenstobetsy — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:20:48 -0800

I just ordered a cellphone over the internet. On a contract. It didn't seem like there was a credit check at any point. How does that work? I am Canadian. Ordered through Bell.ca. Filled out all my info, including birth date, picked my plan, area code, etc. Then it asked for my credit card, did that. Thats it. Where was the credit check? My credit is sorta bad. Like I defaulted on a credit card 4 years ago type bad. What happens if the credit check doesn't go through? It doesn't make any sense to me. I'm a little worried. Will call in to Bell first thing, but they don't open until 8am.

Anyone know how this works or done it yourself?

[HR / background checks] What exactly is a "10-year background check" (for the US feds)?

coffeefilter — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:50:15 -0800

[HR / background checks] What exactly is a "10-year background check" (for the US feds)? I've already read through Metafilter's extensive "background check" archive. Sounds like half the world has a suspicious background they're worried about! Me too!

I thought I'd try to make my questions as specific as possible, so here they are. This is in reference to the federal "10-year background check." What do they check, how do they check it, and how do they interpret the results? Here goes:

Prior Residences -

(1) Suppose you lived in 10 different states in the last 10 years. Would the federal agency consider you "unstable" somehow?

(2) Suppose you lived in a third world country for a while, and their police force, such as it is, never responds to requests. Especially from those bossy Americans! So when a US agency does a criminal records search, they can't get any information at all, positive or negative. What happens then? Is your background check delayed indefinitely?

Prior Bad Employers -

(3) What if one of your past employers has gone out of business? What happens when the background checker is unable to verify your dates of employment? Do you fail your background check?

(4) What if your past employer is really, really disorganized, so when the background checker calls them, they say they don't remember you, and hang up? Does the background checker assume you were lying?

Unverifiable Gaps in Employment History-

(5) What if you spent several years not working, because you were being the house -wife/husband? And your SO is now your insane ex-SO. Are they actually going to call up your insane ex-SO?

(6) What if you took a few months off to explore the wilderness? Do you have to find some park ranger's telephone number so they can verify it? Or how about two moose and a bear? Or do they just figure you're a total slacker?

And finally -

(7) If something bad turns up, do they ever tell you, so you can resolve it? Like someone stole your identity, and now you're wanted for bank robbery in seven different states. Will they tell you? Or do they just quietly send you letter thanking you for your interest, but they had many qualified candidates ....

Elvis' Giant Cheque

meech — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:36:02 -0800

Was Elvis Presley ever presented with a giant cheque [check]? If he was, what were the circumstances?

Can I automatically charge my account 12 times a month?

anomie — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:51:10 -0800

I have a checking account through my local credit union which gives me 5% interest. The catch: I need to make 12 check card purchases a month. Can I somehow automatically charge a few cents to my account 12 times a month? I'd really like to use a card with miles for my purchases.

My mind says fraud, but that can't be right.

Phire — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:16:58 -0800

Legally, what would you call refusal to adhere to city/government by-laws to fingerprint or background check volunteer workers? I imagine it's a fairly serious crime. Location in Canada preferably, but US examples welcome. If an organization is required by city/provincial/whatever law to screen their volunteers/workers via background checks or fingerprinting, and the employer actually refuses to follow through on this during the hiring process and allows unscreened volunteers to work anyway, what would this be called, and what would the consequence be if reported/caught?

Separate checks, please

Jeff Howard — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:13:08 -0800

Why do some restauants resist issuing separate checks for large groups? What are the motivations at play? Does it affect the tip? Is it an issue of complexity? Politics? I'd particularly appreciate perspective from people who have worked as waiters/waitresses, or who own a restaurant. Also, does the practice of allowing 15 different credit cards for a single bill count as separate checks or does that practice go by another name? What other alternatives exist?

How long does my former employer (in New York State) have to get me my final paycheck?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:45:14 -0800

How long does my former employer (in New York State) have to get me my final paycheck? I recently resigned from my job. It was a fairly amicable split - I gave my two weeks notice on January 25th and let them know that February 8th would be my last day. The regular payday of February 15th has come and gone, and I still haven't received my final check.

I know some states like California have very strict laws about when the final check has to be issued, and I know that New York state gives the employer slightly more time, but I haven't been able to figure out exactly how long they have. The Department of Labor website hasn't been any help. Can someone please let me know where I stand legally?

BTW, if it matters, the company is in serious financial trouble and was not able to make payroll for its current employees on the 15th.