If I received an insurance check and it is made out to me and an ex-roommate, can I deposit it into my account without her?
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If the check lists you and your former roommate with the word "or" between your names, either one of you is legally able to endorse and deposit it. If the names have the word "and" or an ampersand (&) between them, both you and your ex-roommate have to endorse the check before either of you can deposit it. If there's nothing separating the two names, the law assumes the word "or" is there.
However, even if the law says you are legally entitled to deposit the check without the other payee's endorsement, your bank may take a more conservative view and require both signatures. Check with the bank before anyone signs the check to find out what it requires.
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