A question about check depositing

bierluvre · #1 05/13/2005, 09:53 AM

Do you always no matter what endorse a check that is made out to you even if you are not receiving cash back? I've never endorsed one in all my 15 years of check accounting if I wasn't recieving cash back and have never had a problem.

However, it is obviously a requirement from this particular insurance agency that cut me a check. The check was sent to them for honoring and now they are sending it back because it wasn't endorsed properly, and of couse the amount of the check has been deducted from my account.

...great.

I was just wondering if I have been doing something wrong all this time and didn't realize it and just never recieved any repercussions from it until now. Of course it doesn't matter if I have or haven't, I will be endorsing every check from now on no matter what!

dc · #2 05/13/2005, 09:55 AM

Always, I even endorse Dan's.

clavery · #3 05/13/2005, 09:56 AM

I always endorse my checks and put my account number on the back of the check. If you put the account number on the check, it is for deposit only and if you lose it or it's misplaced, no one can deposit it into their account.

I've never had a check returned because it wasn't endorsed, but I don't know that I've never endorsed one.

Dolfan0925 · #4 05/13/2005, 10:19 AM

Endorse? Like sign your name on the back?

cadams · #5 05/13/2005, 10:22 AM

my bank requires all checks to be endorsed

Dolfan0925 · #6 05/13/2005, 10:25 AM

Ya me too. They will not take the check unless it is signed. Every time I deposit a check they look to make sure it is signed.

beerguy · #7 05/13/2005, 10:35 AM

Yup - I believe that it's actually illegal to fund an unendorsed check. It's kind of like signing a credit card slip. The money comes out anyway, the signature only becomes important if there is some despute involving the account.

Dolfan0925 · #8 05/13/2005, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by beerguy
The money comes out anyway, the signature only becomes important if there is some despute involving the account.

Yeah I just learned that recently. I used to think the signature was important. So now I just scribble whatever is on my mind. I've made smiley faces. If I'm in one of the "check yourself out" places and had a digital signature thing I'd just fill the whole thing in. It makes it alot more fun.

Scuba_Dave · #9 05/13/2005, 11:48 AM

If it's not endorsed the bank could be held liable for cashing the check to someone other then the person who it was made out to.

And if the Insurance company accepted the check unendorsed you could later say that you never recd it/someone else cashed it (wife girlfriend etc). People have tried it.........

I know someone that signed a blank check & sent it in with their auto - payment - without filling out anything else.
The bank that had the auto loan filled out everything else (correctly) and used it to pay the monthly auto loan payment

If that check had ever fallen into my....I mean the wrong hands...new 1,000g tank...I mean they might of cashed it for a lot more $$

bierluvre · #10 05/13/2005, 12:45 PM

Welp, I've been ignorant to that fact all these years. Not surprising really

Proof that I'm not really functioning in the real world, I'm probably just real lucky.

emilye2 · #11 05/13/2005, 12:53 PM

ScubaDave-those people are lucky the loan folks didn't just fill in the amount of the loan! "We received a blank check....so we figured it must be for the maximum amount!" Or maybe I can just see my car people doing that......