What do you do when paid with a worthless check?

Originally posted by fitzo

I should obviously stick to trying to answer questions that I have some info about and keep my rather anti-social opinions to myself. :)
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Things would be nowhere near as interesting to read if everyone decided to do that.
 
Hi Mike,
I finally figured out that you have a name. You may have noticed I tend to ramble on. My brand of humor is not easy on a keyboard. If I intend to insult someone, I will NOT do it in a public forum. I like to be able to count my enemies on one hand.
:) Such is the limitation of not being face to face. Besides us retirees got to stick together.
I certainly hope that Royal 7 gets his money. Sometimes things go wrong for the right reasons. Years ago we had a checkbook stolen by a babysitter. We had to stop payment on the entire block of checks. Then we contacted those we could remember and told them what happened.
After we got a list of the checks we had written, we PMO'd to them and asked they destroy old checks. The others contacted us and we settled up pronto via PMO. It all gets very messy when thieves get involved. In the end it all worked out except for the $75 we had to pay to cancel that many checks, the hassle, and a small fortume in PMO's that we sent out. Most actually said to just send another check, but we got gun shy.
His problem may be as innocent for his writer as that. The writer will be more upset than Royal 7 is. If it is not so innocent, not a good idea to upset someone who deals with sharp pointy objects.
Back to the mosquitoes....Ken
 
The fact that the buyer stopped payment on the check indicated that it was from a valid account that evidently had funds deposited in same. It might not have had enough funds and the buyer stopped payment rather than be faced with a bad check charge. The Blade show did not occur months ago, contact the buyer and see if he has a problem---maybe he was out of town for a bit--- After all, this is vacation time! If all else fails, then contact law enforcement to find out your legal options. Sandy
 
Ken,

Like I said, sorry to get pissy.

And, yes, I sincerely hope Royal7 gets his money from the check, and it was an honest error by an honest man. It would certainly be uplifting to hear that one of these sour stories ended on a positive note.
I need to get out more post-retirement. My social skills are eroding, and there wasn't much there to begin with... :)
 
If the buyer is from the Atlanta area and you do not hear from him, let me know if there is something I can help with.

As far as Cash shows sometimes taking cash is not the best thing to do. I purchased 4 M.S. test daggers at Blade as well as a couple of high end multiblades and some odds and ends. No way am I going to walk around the Galleria (or for that manner anywhere) with that much cash in my pocket. (My pockets are not even that big.) :D.
 
Another thought about cash. There's always the possibility that counterfiet $100 bills could be floating around. If anything is going to be counterfiet, it's probably going to be c-notes.
You can purchase these little laser-type wands that scan for counterfiet, or ink that turns a certain color if it's bad........
Just a thought.
There just seems to be a lot of nefarious activity afoot these days.
 
IIRC, if you have the buyer make the check out to cash, the bank will not allow a "stop payment" on it.
Personally, gimme the green, too many problems associated with collecting on bad checks. It's why they call them "wallpaper".;) :D
 
I hate to rain on your parade Royal7 but in most states...(not sure about yours so check)(Hmmmm Damn puns keep coming) A certified letter creates a prima fascias case (guilty until proven innocent) and you can prosecute anyone within your state with little problem. A stop payment is another matter and becomes a civil matter unless you can prove he intended to defraud you. That takes a lot of work on your part. Further..if you prosecute and lose, the customer can in most states sue you for malicious prosecution.

Pam’s suggestion is good but I used to work for the feds and good luck getting them off their behinds to go after one bad check writer.

If I were you, I would send him a certified letter. make it short and full of veiled threats to his continued freedom. Give him ten days to make the check good. If you don't get it, chalk it up to another example of people in the year 2003!
 
like Jerry said KILL him. but use a dull knife to do it.
Dan, I'll be happy to loan him an Ugly Knife To use. Sometimes you just have to show one of my knives and the fellow will drop dead for fear you might touch him with that ugly thing!:o
 
I was just going to let this thread die, but since it has been brought up again, I will bring you up to date.
I have always trusted people and have since 1980 taken many many checks without any trouble. I didn't even ask to see drivers licences, etc.
The check was in the name of Georgia Carriers and was signed Sten Killebrew. I should have asked for some identification and probably refused a check that didn't have Sten Killebrew's (if thats his real name) on it, but I had always trusted people and had always come out ok.
The address on the check of Georgia Carriers by the way is 620 Sea Island Rd.
St. Simons Island, GA 31522.
After the check was returned with a stop payment on it, I wrote to the Georgia Carrier address. Of course I never got a answer back.
Through a friend in GA I learned the phone number of this address. It is 1-912-555-1212. I called and found out that this address is not a Georgia Carrier business, it is a UPS place that rents mail boxes. They would give me no information about Georgia Carriers except that a person did pick up mail there.
This guy probably runs lots of scams from this mail box.
I contacted law enforcement officials in that area and they said it was a civil matter.
It's hardly worth my time to hire a GA lawyer to collect on a $100.00 check.
Actually I feel I got off pretty easy. I had knives on the table worth far more.
Based on my experience in this matter it's pretty easy for someone in another state to write you a bad check and get away with it. Law enforcement has so many big crimes to deal with that a bad check is not worth their while.
At the Guild show I took a check from a dealer I knew and refused a check from someone who I didn't know, and who came across as a bit suspicious.
If I take a check again, I will want identification and will also insist that I take a picture of the individual holding the knife.
I also will have the Georgia Carrier check on my table with a sign that says 100 reasons why I don't like checks.
By the way, Sten Killebrew , if thats his real name is a anglo male about 5 feet 5 inches tall, blond hair, thin build and his favorite saying is "Is that your best price?"
I remember what this guy looks like. Any suggestions as to what I should do if I run into him at a future knife show?
 
kill him.... well I don't know if I'd go that far but I think
I'd take a chance of a night in jail to
jump his ass and get $100.00 worth of it.:mad:
the fine might be $250.00 or so..

that is a directory assistance number?? 912-555-1212
 
I know what you feel like doing if you run into him. I won't tell you what I would do nor give any advice.
It's sad being older. Things were never as bad as they are now and many of the younger people here think the way we live is normal. They never knew what America was like when people could be trusted, the government stayed out of your life and deals were done with a handshake. By the way, most people shaking your hand nowadays are just checking to see if you are strong enough to hurt them!

I can tell you story after story Royal. Like the Virginia Beach businessman who rented equipment from us to run for city council. He won. Never paid and stole a laptop. It's just not worth the trouble to prosecute.

All I can tell you is to value the honest friends and customers you have because there aren't many. Treat all new people like potential BG's because they most likely are.

This is not the country I was born in and it's a shame that people like yourself have to find out the hard way.
 
The fact the local police call it civil doesn't need to be the end of it. There is the federal angle. Also did you try the bank the check was to drawn on already (i forget) He must have provided some ID to open the account.

One thing I wouldn't do is spread someone's name all over the net. I'm not refering to the mentions above, by there were specifics. Destroying someone's name before, or after one knows the facts, may be regarded as disproportionate to the $100 in this case. Someone bounces a check, won't answer letters or their phone, then turns out to have been in hospital, out of state for 3 months afer a car accident returning from the show... It happened to me, the accident away from home not the check. I basicaly didn't do a thing for 8 months, everything slid. Luckily my stuff was all simple, so nobody was disadvantaged. Slandering someone is basicaly taking revenge. One's legal rights rarely extend to that.

A famous hunter didn't honour my book order several years back. Seemed kinda improbable, just a great guy. A bunch of letters go unanswered. Finaly I get one back saying sure he'll send me a book, he has no idea what the heck has happened since his daughter died, he doesn't know who sent him what etc... True story.
 
there was a stop payment on this one right? he knew what he was doing.

Royal
you said you still have the check?
if I'm right the stop payment has to be renewed every so often.
at least here it does.. find the same bank it's
written on,
it don't matter where as long as it's
the same bank and walk in and try it again but walk in and do it..
it can't hurt and you can call to make sure the funds are there
to cover it.
If you want to
send me a copy of it and let me check out a few things.
I've had bad checks but I've always got my money. CC card is another story
I like shaking sheet up:D

sorry to say too
it's unlawful to post that check for the public to see
it's called harassment:(
 
There is a loophole in the law(in our favor for a change), that when someone buys from you at a show, it comes under the post office, if things like this go wrong. It for some reason is treated by them as MAIL FRAUD!!!
Contact your local post office and explain this all to the postal inspector.
They take a dim view of this sort of thing, and will hunt him down and kill him. Well, maybe just prosecute him. It's better than nothing, and the USPS is aggresive in pursuing these things. :)
 
Just another 2 cents to throw some confusion and fun into the mix.... some states/counties will overlook a stopped check as a civil matter. Here in Harris County, Texas, a stopped check is a criminal matter. (Last I checked anyway.... ;))
 
going to court is big bucks I just finished one such thing on a stop payment for a $7,000.00 Check given me.
it cost me 2,500.00 in lawyer fees and it didn't go to court,, we settled so it wouldn't go that far
because it could have been up to 10,000.00 in fee's.
I ended up with 1,300.00 out of $7,000.00 now where is the justice in that, and I won the case..
doing such things you need to know all the angles. or you loose:(
 
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