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Home >> Checks/Money Orders >> Checks You Received
Check Bounced for Being Too Old: Seventeen Days?
I am an independent contractor and get paid weekly by a company. On a recent Monday I deposited three checks. One from each of the previous three Fridays, so the oldest check was seventeen days old. Of those three checks, the most recent was returned for NSF. The person that paid me said it was my fault because I waited too long and the checks were only good for two weeks. I said checks were good for six months, and she said she would only honor them for fourteen days. Luckily the one the bank returned was only three days old so their fourteen day rule won't apply to that one, but they say that one bounced because the other was too old(seventeen days). Where do I stand as far as the fourteen days? Can someone say that they will only pay the check if its cashed within fourteen days, especially if its a paycheck (but I think written on a personal account). Also how about waiting until there's an issue to make up the rule on how long you have to cash it. Any input is appreciated.
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 The standard is found in version of the Uniform Commercial Code that is adopted in your state. In every state a check is by default, valid for at least six months (and a bank can pay older checks if it does so in good faith).
A business can contract with its bank to refuse payment after a shorter period of time -- fourteen days seems rather extreme -- but when it does so, it is a best practice to indicate the shorter time either on the face of the check or, in some cases, on a check stub or other document that comes with it. It's not a good practice to impose such a stringent requirement on payees without informing them of it.
The fact that the company has declared that its checks won't be good for more than fourteen days does not discharge the company's obligation to pay you. You have every right to demand a replacement for the check. If you continue doing work for the company, try not to hold their checks more than a week before negotiating them.
Published on BankingQuestions.com 8/25/08
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