How you handle bounced Checks

[parkmaster]

i've been reading different threads but haven't seen one on this
subject. i just want to know how lco's handle this problem and have any suggestions to deal with bounced checks :angry:

[randosh4]

do what i do TAR AND FEATHER THEM

[thelawnguy]

Included in the $15 monthly service fee of my commercial checking account was Telecheck. Every check deposited was covered. If they bounced not a penny came out of my account, the telecheck people would take the hit.

[ProMo]

call your state attorney if they dont make good on it plus any fees you have from bank I had an ex customer say it wasnt there problem and atty was more than happy to prosecute them

[steve122]

In our county in Illinois you send them a letter and if you don't recieve payment within 2weeks you can take it to the local State's attorneys office, who will send the deadbeat a letter requiring payment and which requires them to take a 10 hour course in (not sure what). Failure to respond results in a bench warrant, which sits in the police computer until their picked up for some other violation. Then they are charged with theft by deceptive practices. I've used it once in 6 yrs.

[Mike (MLC)]

If we receive a bounced check from someone, there is an automatic $25.00 charge which is stated on our invoices. We call the client up and let them know about the bounced check and give them the total with the new fee included. We have them pay there new balance in cash. After that they can continue pay by check unless they bounce a check again. We never let them bounce a check more than twice.;)

[B. Phagan]

In most states, giving someone an NSF check for over $100 is a felony. The state's attorney and/or the sheriff can get involved and depending on the state, arrest them and/or only arrest them assuming they are caught on some other charge such as speeding or some other offense.

Call your state's attorney and sheriff's office for more info.

[65hoss]

We have a "bad check" office. I've never had to use it, but if I do its not a problem. I maintain it.;)

[Bob Minney]

add $15 fee
like MLC said second time no more checks

[Sean Adams]

People make mistakes. Good to have a policy of some sort from the start that all clients are aware of. I always call first, let them know, try not to embarass them and have them pay our fee if there is one. We have a great relationship with our bank so they usually take care of us really well in theses instances.

[MJStrain]

I've never had a customer bounce a check.....:cool:

[Ryan Lightning]

The only customer that ever bounced a check on me was my aunt! :eek:

[Bob Minney]

I should have added that I don't charge on the 1st bounce, I give the customer a chance to make deposit to cover it. I know they are paying 15-25 to their bank already.
My bank will automaticaly redeposit, (I pay a fee) on the second bounce they send the check back to me, thats when I add my fee.

When this happens with a 2nd check, no more checks from that customer.

[Brickman]

Only once did I have a check bounce. I was so suprised that I never charged them what my bank charged me. They did pay up.

I would send a bad check that they refused to pay to a collection agency. I have a good local company.

[Lawn-Scapes]

I've had two checks bounce.. one last year and one this year (different clients). What I do is wait 2-3 days and redeposit it. Then in the next invoice I add a $10 fee.

If either would have bounced a second time.. I would have called them, returned the check and asked for cash.. including the fee again.

[dforbes]

we did some irrigation work for anouther LCO. he presented me with a $1000.00 bad check. I tracked him down, escorted him to the bank and had him draw $1050.00 in cash.He paid me on the spot. His bank sent him a notice when they sent the check back so he knew it before or when i did. Had he called and let me know something I wouln't have been so mad.
Dennis

[parkmaster]

thanks guys for the input.
tsg- for a returned check you can charge up to $35 in maryland.
most charge $25 for returned checks.
going to a collection agency soon for the check + fees



________________________
you plant it, I'll maintain it

[mybabyciv]

Take Them To Court!!!

[grass_cuttin_fool]

Ive only had one bounced check, It was an honest mistake and I reinvoiced the customer and added $10.00 for my postage and added trip to the bank.

wayne

[gammon landscaping]

just be care ful with bad checks when i first started i was on a shoe string budget and a guy bounced me a 300 check i think it cost me around 700 by the time i swiped my debt for gas...food...smokes...ext.ext.. man i thought that money in the bank and just went along spending as usual that was a very costly lesson for a young man. but it did teach me that if i have doubts about a check i take it to there bank

[topsites]

I got tired of it, real tired.

First, these people think it's a free ride, not a one has acted like they owed anything more than the check's amount. Yeah ok, no problem.

I could chase them in civil court, which means I may not get paid but at least I can get a judgement on the fees and fines and crap. If I don't like this, I can take it the criminal route which means I will get paid (or they go to jail), but now I can only get the amount of the check from them.

Then, from time to time some long-term customer of mine bounces one, and they just casual as can be give me the amount they owed originally, not even bothering to ask if there's any fees, etc... What am I supposed to do to some 3-4 year old account, just give them the boot?
The thought crossed my mind, but...

So after I went through the 1-10 scale of anger a few times, I raised my prices another 5 dollars, now the price of bounced checks is included in the service... Everybody pays for it, and I don't care no more. And if someone bounces a check more than once in a moon, I won't show up no more. Now if they bounce it and then they don't want to make up for it, that goes through collections and is another issue entirely.

Someone once told me: When you get tired of it, that's when it gets fixed.
And that's how I fixed it.

[topsites]

- owner snip -