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Home >> Accounts >> Checking Accounts
Dealing with an Out-of-state NSF Check
Where is the best place to start for an out of state NSF check -- besides never accepting one to begin with?
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 Probably the cheapest starting point is the paying (or in this case, non-paying) bank. Look up the bank on the internet if possible to obtain their telephone number. If they list a toll-free line, use that. If you can't find a toll-free line, use your cell phone to avoid charges, if you have the minutes to spare.
With any luck, the bank will be willing to check the account balance for you. They'll ask for the account and check number, along with the dollar amount and the name on the check. If the bank reports that the check is good at the moment, get the check redeposited as quickly as possible, but understand that the account balance could be "here today, gone tomorrow." The bank won't be able to hold the funds for you, so getting the check there fast is wise. If you get a "not good at this time" reply from the bank, wait a few days and try again.
If these methods aren't successful, you may have to decide whether it will be worth your while to have your bank send the check for collection, with an instruction to have the paying bank hold the check for a time (often ten days) until it's good. There will be a fee involved, usually imposed by both banks in these cases.
Finally, if you've met with no success, you may decide that hiring a professional collector is too expensive, given the size of the check, but such services do exist. You can find them using any on-line "Yellow Pages" service, with a key phrase "Check Collection Agency."
Published on BankingQuestions.com 10/24/06
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