Chapter 28: Checks. Banks, and Funds Transfers Flashcards
(98 cards)
Check
Order by a depositor on a bank to pay a sum of money to a payee; a bill of exchange drawn on a bank and payable on demand
Check vs draft
- drawee for a check is always a bank
- check is drawn in assumption money is in bank to cover the check (no such assumption for general draft)
- check is payable on demand (draft may be payable at a specific future date)
- drawee bank only accepts check through certification. (For a draft acceptance is required for the liability of the drawee)
Laws governing checks
- Article 3 of UCC
- Article 4 of UCC (bank deposits and collections)
American bankers association bank collection code
- written to introduce clarity into processing electronic and paper transactions for electronic payment methods
- provisions incorporated into new versions of article 4 of the UCC
References to electronic payment methods
Called
- remotely drawn
- remotely created
- consumer authorized
Remotely-created consumer orders
RCPOs
Also remotely-created consumer items (per article 3)
Automated clearinghouse (ACH) payments
Consumer- originated authorizations for bank payments without paper signatures
Permit authorized payments initiated over the phone or online
Have the same effect as writing a check
Banks generally put holds on the funds once the ACH payment request arrives
Consumer account
A bank account used for household, family, or personal purposes
Pointbreak media case
- pointbreak making fraudulent robot calls to business owners
- obtained remotely created consumer payment orders from some and then continued to withdraw money from these accounts
- FTC made them repay the funds/ give up assets to provide refunds
- also prohibited the company from using payee- initiated fund transfers
- Pointbreak appealed saying they couldn’t run their business without collecting from customers
- court disagreed. Can still collect checks
Check as payment
- check is NOT a guarantee of payment, does not create a duty for drawee bank to pay the holder
- check will be paid only it there are sufficient funds in the drawer’s account to cover payment
- does not impose absolute primary liability on the bank at the time the check is written
- international transactions may require proof of credit with the bank to ensure check is covered
Check drawn with intent to defraud person to whom delivered
Subject to criminal prosecution in most states - though requires proof drawer knew there were insufficient funds/ that no future funds were coming to change the account balance
Bouncing a check
Mostly: if not made good within stated period (10 days) there is a presumption drawer issued check with intent to defraud
Bad check laws
Laws making it a criminal offense to issue a bad check with intent to defraud
Postdate
To insert or place on an instrument a later date than the actual date on which it was executed
Changes the character of the check from a demand draft to a time drafts
BUT banks are not obligated to hold the time draft until time written (requires extra paperwork). Banks not required to examine date on each instrument unless customer places hold in the system
Time draft
Bill of exchange payable at a stated time after sight or at a definite time
Form of checks
Per UCC check can be in any form of writing but bank customers may agree to use certain forms as part of their contract with the bank
Form of remotely-created consumer item
Must be evidenced by a record (not necessarily a written document)
Record
Information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or which is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form
Money order
Draft issues by a bank or a non-bank
Bank money order
Draft with the bank as both drawer and drawee
Remains a three party instrument even though two parties may be the same entity
Cashier’s check
Draft drawn by a bank on itself
“A draft with respect to which one he drawer and drawee are the same bank or branches of the same bank”
Remains a three party instrument even though two parties may be the same entity
Teller’s check
A cashier’s check drawn on another bank in which the drawer bank has an account
Certified check
A check accepted by the bank on which it is drawn - bank has accepted primary liability on the instrument
Check for which the bank has set aside in a special account sufficient funds to pay it; payment is made when check is presented regardless of amount in drawer’s account at the time; discharges all parties except certifying bank when holder requests certification
Actual certification must be written on the check and authenticated by signature of authorized bank representative. Then money is set aside from the drawer’s account
Request for check certification
May be made by holder or drawer
At request of holder releases all prior indorsers and the drawer from liability
At request of the drawer there parties are not releqsee
State bank v. Smith
- March 26, 2012: Dale Smith presented (what appeared to be) a cashier’s check drawn on chase bank for $294.5k for deposit into his account with state bank, who accepted it
- following day (March 27th) he requested state bank wire $275k to an account in Japan
- state bank called local chase bank and confirmed: check number, account number, amount in the check, lack of stop payment orders
- state wired transfer per smith’s request
- on March 28th chase returned the check to State marked “refer to maker”. State presented it for payment again and again it was returned
- per chase VP: check was different form than official cashier’s checks written by chase, check number had incorrect number of digits, didn’t include a printed audit number, packed proper signature, missing security symbol
- in deposition: all checks drawn on the account number printed have the same electronically printed authorized signature. Because this check lacked that signature she knew it wasn’t issued by chase
- May 16th: state said filed suit that Chase wrongfully dishonored check
- trial court granted summary judgement for chase, state appealed
- appeals court held for Chase
- lack of a valid signature is a real defense (no one required to pay on an instrument without a valid signature)
- without a valid signature state cannot be a HDC and even if they were an HDC lack of signature is still defense
Lost cashier check case
- Jennings obtained a cashier check to pay off car loan
- mailed the check via express mail, requiring a signature
- employee of lender felt check was invalid because it did not have Jennings’ signature on it. Returned it via regular USPS but Jennings never got it
- since Jennings had received proof of receipt of the check she did not make next payment. Got notice of late payment, penalty, and late payment was reported to credit bureau
- lender said since check had been returned late penalty stood
- bank said could issue stop payment order if Jennings paid $1,200 for a bond to cover the amount of check. (As check had been properly issued no simple stop payment possible)
What are Jennings rights?