Excuse me, can I pay this bill?

I enjoy paying bills. I know. Sick. But, I like reducing debt so much that I feel good watching numbers go down. It’s a great feeling.

Anyway, I’m old school. I write checks to pay bills.

Yes, I know you can pay bills online.

I’m a nerd who likes writing checks.

I wrote a check to our utility company for about $60 and it hasn’t been cashed yet. No biggie right? Except, I wrote the check just over SIX months ago. I called about three months ago to make sure the payment was applied to my balance and it was… but the check remains un-cashed.

The friendly customer service person said my account was in good standing but when I asked her when the check would be cashed, she said to keep waiting.

So here we are, inching toward month SEVEN, and I’m confused as to what to do. Do I call the utility company and offer another check? Or do I lean back, kick my feet up, and figure it’s their loss?

What would you do?

*On a side note, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I paid another bill and more than a year went by. They never cashed the check and would not accept another payment because their system would not handle ‘double’ payments.

Posted by Beks on January 24, 2012 at 8:43 PM in General Debt, Morals and Money | 18 Comments »
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Newlyweds on a Budget responded:
Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
this is why hate writing checks. i hate waiting for it to be cashed and not knowing when the money will come out.

i don’t know what to tell you. give it a year and then just forget about it. isn’t there like a time limit?
Liz responded:
Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I would leave it for now. Maybe they will cash the check at some point, but I wouldn’t worry about it.
I thought I liked writing checks, too. Held out for quite some time. Then about a year ago we switched banks (moved out of state) and I used online bill pay through our new bank. It’s fantastic – highly recommend! And yes, it’s just as satisfying sending it over the internet as it is through the mail
ListfulWistful responded:
Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
I’m not sure if I can post a link here… Get Rich Slowly did an article called “Stale Checks” on July 23, 2008. It’s obviously a little old, but it does a good job connecting to Uniform Commercial Code Section 4-404 saying banks aren’t required to cash checks after 6 mos., but it depends on your bank’s policy as to whether they will. So your bank might be a better place to check that the place you wrote the check to?
Babybluewater responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 12:12 am
I used to work at a bank and yes, after 6 months checks are considered “stale dated”, and the bank is not supposed to cash or deposit them. The check is typically given back to the person who wrote it so they can write a new one. However, if the checks are deposited in a large batch, it’s possible it could end up going through if a teller is not careful enough to catch the date. That’s from my personal experience anyway.
Andrew responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 2:26 am
I think you’ve already done enough. If you pay cash at the local grocery store and the cashier drops your money down a crack in the floor, that’s their fault, not yours. It’s not like you’re taking advantage like when they give you back the wrong change. Same if they forgot to cash your check.
Emily responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 9:01 am
If they say your account is in good standing and your water is still on, smile and be happy.
Money Beagle responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 9:09 am
I barely write many checks anymore. I guess I’d probably wait a few more months and if it doesn’t change, just put the money back in your balance and call it a day. I definitely wouldn’t worry about sending a second check as that’s likely just going to mess things up more on their end rather than fix anything.
Tonya responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 9:53 am
Years ago we owed a small amount ($20 or so) for something. I sent the check, it was never cashed. I called, they said they never got it, they suggested I send another one and get delivery confirmation on it. I did, got the confirmation and still they claimed they didn’t get it….so I sent a third registered mail. It was recieved, openend, and returned to me with a note saying the account was current.
I called back, because none of the checks had been cashed, and was told that it was their error, could I send another check….I told them yes, but I was sending it from home. I was not going to spend more money for registered mail and have to wait at the post office again. That check was never cashed either and I never called again. I want to pay my bills…..but it shouldn’t be my job to make you take the money.
I knew I had a letter saying the account was paid in full should it ever come up….but really how much time and effort do you have to put into getting someone to take your 20 bucks?
emmi responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 10:23 am
I realize that the issue is you really want to pay, and that technically you haven’t. But it will cost them more than $60 to straighten it out on there end. Keep that in mind.
Saving My Toonies responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 10:52 am
I hate writing cheques for that reason too, I hate waiting for them to be cashed. I don’t even like waiting for automatic payments to come out, if I get paid Friday, I want my bills paid and the money out of my account Friday. We have one payment that comes out Monday after we are paid and I even hate that.

When we were renting, I set up a different account fr us to pay rent with. Our landlord took cheques and sometimes waited a week or more to cash them. It came out of a different account, so it was out of sight out of mind.

I would wait until the cheque is stale dated and then not worried about it. You’ve tried.
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 11:20 am
I’d put this on the list of what not to pay with a check! I love writing checks too but I’m so antsy with seeing my balance pay down that my payoff comes in seeing it faster than it is to waiting for the mailed check to arrive at it’s destination, make it’s way to accounts payable and then get posted. Plus paying online helps pay your debt faster if it’s on a interest bearing account because it cuts the number of days at the account is holding interest at that specific dollar amount!
mikey responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Something similar happened to me. They swore they charged our card from an online purchase – I knew they didn’t. I called twice (marking dates and names) and was assured both times. 7 months later they contacted me for payment. I told them sorry, that came from a particular fund that is gone now (it was for a non-profit I worked with) and the monies were spent elsewhere, on their advice. They were cool and let it go…
Grace responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
This reminds me of a story about Picasso (possibly apocryphal, but maybe not); Apparently he paid for everything by check because so many folks thought that his signature was more valuable than the amount of the check that they saved the checks and never cashed them. It worked for him!
Jeff responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
I take it your asking becuase you concious already has answered for you. I from a moral stand point would offer them another check. If they refuse then you have done your due diligence.
DebtGirl responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
I would not send them another check because then you will be out 120.00. You already filled your obligation and should leave it at that. But don’t spend it, leave it in forever!

I started paying online because I LOVE my credit union and its FREE!!!
Mary Jo responded:
Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
My son is a slow check casher. I used to wait MONTHS for him to cash my checks. Now I send him a money order for his birthday. My credit union provides free money orders because my mortgage is with them. I pay all of my bills online, no waiting and no stamps!
kim responded:
Posted: January 26th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
I hate waiting for months. I only write 1 check – rent – and my landlord is kinda broke so cashes them right away (I hope they’re actually going to the mortgage!). You did your diligence once by paying the 1st time; no need to try hard to pay, it’s their obligation to follow through.
Mike Dunham responded:
Posted: January 28th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
If you really want to know, figure out where they hold the account into which your check should have been deposited (hint: look at where the others were cashed), call that bank, and ask them what their stale check policy is. Whatever their answer is, get it in writing, so that if they later try to cash it in violation of the policy they quote you, you can fight with them to get it back. Do the same for your own bank. Wait the longer of the two, then write it off.