My landlady STILL hasn’t deposited my rent checks from October, November, or December. I’ve called (many times) to ask her to please deposit the checks, and she says she will, “when she gets the time to got to the bank.” Ok, minor pain in the ass, I know. I just need to be extra careful with my finances to make sure I don’t spend the rent money, and everything should be great. Landlady doesn’t need the cash, I guess, so she can afford to drag her feet. I can just imagine her, giggling with glee and holding a fistful of checks. I mean, what could she be doing with them? Origami? Making interesting centerpieces? Wallpapering her bathroom?
So, imagine my surprise when I get a little note stuck in my mailbox, on Christmas Day mind you, that the rent will be going up starting March 1st. She has already proven to me that she doesn’t need my money. AAAAARRGH. So much for my holiday cheer.
Oh, and because this is the Dope (and I know there are a bunch of smart folks hanging around), can I legally write “VOID AFTER 30 DAYS” on my check to encourage this stain on the undies of humanity to deposit my checks in a timely manner? Thanks
Isn’t your check legally invalid after 120 days or so?
My landlord takes her sweet time in depositing mine, too. Thankfully she deposits them the same month, though. But how much is your rent going up? If it’s below the inflation rate, I’d actually shake your hand at finding a decent place and landlord [sub]Every landlord I’ve known, except the current one, claimed this as an excuse[/sub].
Tripler
But no, you can’t write “VOID AFTER 30 DAYS” on a check. It’s a legal instrument governed by your state’s laws.
Actually, the rent is very cheap, and even with the increase, it’s still below what is considered normal for the area. I just wish she would deposit my damn checks. It’s depressing to go from thinking I’m rich to realizing that’s just the rent money every week.
Sure you can. It might even be honored by the bank of first deposit. However banks are not obligated to honor such restrictions, either on the face of the document or in the indorsement.
Banks aren’t subject to state law, AFAIK, but rather are federally governed. Checks and their acceptance are covered by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which all US banks follow.
Well, I would but … um. You see, I thought … No, I really meant …er.
Crap. Here I’ve been bitching about this for the past year, and I could have just paid cash. She lives right down the street, and she’s always home. What a maroon. Thanks, ivylass.
If landlady doesn’t go to the bank very often she may not like this method of payment as it means large amounts of cash laying around her house If she does accept cash, of course you know that you should get a signed, dated receipt indicating what month you are paying for, right? And be sure to file the receipt someplace safe in case there’s ever a dispute about whether or not you paid.
World is right, the money order itself is its own receipt.
BTW, I just talked to Mrs ST, she works at a bank in the check processing dept. Personal checks are void after 180 days (6 months). Apparently it’s Federal law so applies to all checks written in the US. Hope that helped.
If the US is like Canada in this regard, cheques are stale-dated after either six months or a year, but chances are the banks will cash them anyway because human beings are stupid. I’ve worked at a cheque processing centre of a huge bank, and I’ve worked in various accounting departments, and the bottom line is don’t count on banks to either cash or not cash cheques. They’ll cash 'em if you hope they won’t, and they won’t if you hope they will. Get money orders for your dumb-ass landlady. Better yet, pay her with large bags of small coins, and make sure you get a receipt.
(Having someone wait to cash your cheques is truly a pain in the ass, lightingtool. I feel for you.)
My landlord gave me a stack of deposit slips when I signed my lease so when rent is due, I just go down to her bank, deposit the cash and voila, a receipt from HER bank
I like this arrangement as I am not too good with my checking balance and this prevents over spending.
I had a landogre like that once and I despised her for it. It got so bad one time that I put a Stop Order on the two checks she was dawdling with, then sent her Money Orders for the checks and from then on. My landlady was out of state, so I coudn’t do the cash thing.
Ditto on the money order- I always do this anyway; I don’t make a habit of bouncing checks, but I never want to take the chance that if something DOES bounce that it’s the rent.
Isn’t it ridiculously easy to cash a money order, though? You can get a free Bank Draft from the bank (similat to a cashier’s check), which is very secure for both of you.
