I have written several checks that have not been cashed by the payees. Many of them are many years old. How long do I need to keep these balances open in my check register?
There is no definite answer to this, because those old checks could finally make it to your bank and get charged to your account. If you've heard stories about checks not being any good after six months, don't depend on it. Banks may return a check that's more than six months old, but they can also pay it.
You have to decide whether you think the payees of those old checks are likely to deposit or cash them at this late date. You could also place a stop payment order on one or more of the checks, if you are concerned it might get paid, but at some point, you'll decide it's not worth worrying about ($25 stop payment fees don't make much sense on a small check), that the checks aren't likely to be cashed, and write those check amounts back into your balance.
Published on BankingQuestions.com 9/14/07
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There is no definite answer to this, because those old checks could finally make it to your bank and get charged to your 