Interstate Rubber Check

[John L]

I have to make my phone calls in the morning but thought I would ask here first to see what advice I could get.

We sold signs from our PA shop to a NJ customer. This was signs only, no install, delivered to NJ by common truck carrier. We received check ($7740) in the mail for full payment before the signs shipped out. 1 week after signs shipped my banker calls and says they stopped payment on the check. I call the customer and after repeatedly leaving messages over a week or so, I get hime and he serves up an explanantion that an employee stole some signed checks from his store safe and cleaned his tree out too good to cover my check, so he stopped payment (lie detector going off).

So, 2 weeks later, after many more calls about this, we get another check in the mail. We deposit it. A week later my banker calls. This time it's Non Suff Funds. Redeposited per clients directions, stamped for good this time... NSF. So I call.

This time his story is that he is wiring me money. Been going on for 3 days now and I am about done.

If this were just sold to a PA customer I would have no question, you just take it to the Local or State police and it's pretty quick. But, does anyone know? ... this time do I go to the local PA police? Do I go to the NJ police?

 

[Fred Weiss]

The last time something like this happened to us, we located an attorney in their town and hired him. He wrote a letter and we were paid immediately. The attorney's fee was about $150.

 

[surf city]

Or ya can tell me where he is in jersey and I can go and stop by and say hello, which obviously won't cost ya anything.

 

[John L]

Well I appreciate that offer Surf. I might go out of my way a little just to bring this to a face to face.

Fred, thanks. I actually did get ahold of an attorney there before they closed up for the night. I think he gave me some pretty good advice regarding a few different options.

Ive been told I will get the quickest response out of the local Jersey criminal court by simply running up the street to my local PA state police annex. They have a reciprication in place that, according to this lawyer, will expidite it if the criminal complaint comes from my state, even though I am over 4 hours drive away. AND Pa allows me a little extra for restitution too.

I'm gonna send him a certified nastygram just to show I gave him one last chance to avoid probation.

 

[surf city]

Well, let us know how things work out for ya.

 

[Techman]

so he stopped payment

In many states.

A stop payment is only valid for undelivered items or services. You obviously delivered so the stop payment is not valid.
The penalty for an invalid stop payment is two times the face value plus expenses to collect it. All it has to say is stop payment on the check.

It is a felony to deliver a bad check over a certain amount. In yoru case this is a felony case.

Either case pursue it.