Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Check that Couldn't be Cashed

OMG. This story is like a comedy of errors. My husband gives me a check each month for our monthly bank account. I have to bug him several times to get that check to me. It's not that he's withholding money, it's just he's very busy and preoccupied with work and life things (he's the guy on the CPM machine, as noted below in 120 Degrees blog). So, he gives me the February check early this month and I am thrilled. I cannot pay our condo mortgage until he gives me that check so I am eager to get it cashed, pay the mortgage and be done with the monthly money duties.

Although I on sabbatical, I am also very busy. So, I grabbed the check on Friday, made a special trip to the grocery store to get food and to cash his check. I handed it over to the bank teller and she TELLS me she cannot cash it! It isn't dated. So, I asked to talk to the manager who knows me well. I tell him I am a long-time customer. I remind him that we have 5 accounts with the bank and that this would really help me out. "Bank policy. We cannot cash it because you and your husband could be in a divorce and we would get it trouble if you were cashing a check you shouldn't be cashing." "Aww, come on. Just this once. I am a long-time customer in good standing." That got me no where so I gave up. Annoyed, however, I told the teller that I just remembered that my husband was sitting in the car so I'd be right back. She didn't think that was funny. Well, she might of but she didn't say a word or crack a smile. I left with uncashed check in hand. Once in the car I wrote the date on the "date" line of that irritating bugger of a check but it didn't look like my husband's writing, it was in blue not black ink and I thought the bank police might nab me if I tried to go back in right away and cash it.

That evening I asked my husband to cross out the date I had written in blue and to write the correct date in blank ink with all the necessary initials to signify he'd actually made the date change. He asked if I wanted a new check but I told him if he just corrected this one we'd be fine. We laughed and he fixed the check, or so we thought.

The next time I got to the bank was yesterday afternoon, after a school meeting and on my way to another school. It's now Tuesday. Before I pull into the drive-through, I park the car in a parking spot and make sure my new deposit slip is made out correctly. I check to make sure I have endorsed the check properly and I double checked to see if the date was correct. I happily pulled up to the bank window. I slipped the check and the deposit slip under the little doohickey that holds your bank paperwork, shut the drawer and waited for my deposit slip.

I don't usually examine my deposit slips carefully. A trusting, busy soul, I take it and drive away. But for some reason, I took a close look at the deposited amount. It read $220 not $2200. I told the clerk she had made a mistake. She quickly told me, "Oh, they would have caught it in the back." Yah, right. That's reassuring, I thought. Anyway, I sent the deposit slip back through the little drawer. As the teller redid the paperwork she announced, "This check is not dated properly. The black ink is for 3/6/09 which is March so that is for next month. Although, the blue ink clearly says 2/6/09." I paused, and this is where I am so glad I'm a more outspoken 54 year-old than I was when I was, say, 23, "Can you call my husband at work?" I asked, thinking, OMG this can't be! I assume knowing she could get herself in trouble by making such a big error, particularly if I made a big stink, she complied happily. "No answer when I called," she returned to the window to tell me. I persisted, "Can you call him on his cell phone?" Sure, she happily complied once again. I was waiting for the New England impatience to kick in and for her to tell me to buzz off, tough for you, try again another day. But, she returned once again, "Sorry, no answer there either." Annoyed once again, I paused for a moment and then proceeded to tell her the story of the check that couldn't be cashed. We both had a little laugh and then she said, "You know, I know your husband. He did a survey for me." My husband is a land surveyor well-known in the surrounding towns. "Really?" I smiled a big happy smile. "So can we just let this go? I promise, I won't mention this to anybody." I could see the wheels cranking. She finally and to my relief let the check be cashed. I felt like I was on Saturday Night Live but happy to have the check cashed so I could now pay the mortgage.

No comments:

Post a Comment