# Banks and My Original Document

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banks-and-my-original-document/163006>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 21, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banks-and-my-original-document/163006 "2003-03-21T04:02:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tcdaniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@tcdaniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcdaniel)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banks-and-my-original-document/163006/1 "2003-03-21T04:02:45Z")

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I’ve had several banks over the years who have insisted on micro-copying my checks and holding my original documents hostage in some rental unit - only to send me these lousy copies in my monthly statement. Why can’t they send me my canceled checks?  
Don’t they care or even think of how much paper they’re wasting?  
I had to recently copy a micro-copy for tax purposes - I enlarged it to be sure the IRS sees it - It would be a much clearer copy if i had my original document as all checks have the watermark on the back.

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banks-and-my-original-document/163006/2 "2003-03-21T04:16:33Z")

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When you give someone a check, the instrument becomes the property of the recipient. When the recipient cashes it, it becomes property of the bank. The bank can do with its property what it wants.

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**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banks-and-my-original-document/163006/3 "2003-03-21T04:21:55Z")

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You can usually request the original document from your bank. They may charge you a fee for it, but you can get it.

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**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banks-and-my-original-document/163006/4 "2003-03-21T04:26:01Z")

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I think you will find that if you don’t get the actual checks back, the bank will destory them after a set period of time. They are microfilmed of course in either case.