How long do you have to report a bad check?

If the check writer does not pay you within 30 days, you may file a lawsuit.

What to do if you get a bad check from a bank?

If the bad check writer honors the check, he or she must usually pay the amount of the check plus a reasonable processing fee and the cost that the bank may have charged you for the bad check. If the bad check writer does not honor the check, you may proceed by going to small claims court to pursue the case yourself.

How long does a bank have to honor a bad check?

Send the letter certified. The bad check writer may have between 10 and 30 days to honor the check without facing additional civil or criminal liability. If the bad check writer honors the check, he or she must usually pay the amount of the check plus a reasonable processing fee and the cost that the bank may have charged you for the bad check.

Can a person be criminally responsible for a bad check?

Some states require that the writer of the check have the intent to defraud before criminal responsibility can result. General exclusions for criminal responsibility for bad checks are when the check is postdated or when the check is for present consideration. This means that the check is written in exchange for certain goods or services.

What can I do about a bad check writer?

Instead, you may pursue a civil lawsuit. Most state statutes provide that the bad check writer can be found liable for attorney fees and reasonable collection fees. If you do not wish to go to court or pursue the case criminally, you may prefer to contact a collection agency or law firm to collect the debt that is owed to you.

What happens if you receive a bad check?

Sometimes these laws provide liberal damages to the recipient of a bad check, such as three times the face value of the check, up to a certain amount. Typically, you must try to present the check within 30 days of receiving the check. Then you probably have to give the writer of the bad check written notice of the check’s dishonor.

Who is on the hook for a bad check?

If you deposit a bad check, you’re on the hook for it. “You’re responsible for the checks that you deposit,” says Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy at the Consumer Federation of America. “And if they’re bad, you’re gonna be responsible for paying the bank back any of the money that you’ve withdrawn.”