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US checks : Validity, Endorsement, Depositing in the UK

Hi folks,

I am based in the UK and am not familiar with the US banking system so would appreciate some help from anyone who is.

I have received 2 personal checks, USD 50 each, drawn on 2 Texas based banks: Chase Manhattan and Wells Fargo. Issue dates are 17 March and

23 March 2003.

  1. What is the validity period of checks ? i.e. after what period can they no longer be deposited. Also, on normal expiry can they be extended on payment of a charge ?

  2. What is the cheapest bank / building society in the UK to deposit them in ? I have searched the past usenet archives but its not clear whether Barclays do it for free. (I rang them up but gave up after spening 30 minutes on the phone being transferred from one team to the other.) (Nationwide want to charge Sterling 6.50 for each !)

  1. At the reverse of the check there are 3 blank lines with the title "Endorse Here". How does this work ? What do I need to do to use this? I do not have a US bank A/c but have a relative in Florida who does. What do I need to do so that he can deposit the check in his account ? Will he have to pay any extra charge ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers, Adam

Reply to
Adam
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Many banks treat checks as stale after 6 months and they can not be extended by the payee. After they are stale you will need to ask the maker to change the date and sign this change or ask them to replace the checks with newer ones.

Nothing if you are asking for collection by a UK bank.

This will be up to your relative's bank, and I doubt they will accept a check endorsed by someone whom they do not know and who is not present to identify themselves.

I suggest you RAPIDLY take the checks to Nationwide or some other bank and hope that the paying banks accept them by the time they finally arrive.

Tony

Reply to
Anthony R. Gold

I seem to remember that for a UK bank to collect a foreign cheque you had to endorse it over to them, but things change so fast these days.............

Reply to
john boyle

A couple of years ago I paid in two US cheques into HSBC, I just popped them in with a normal paying-in slip, but wrote a big $ sign over the !

HSBC sent me a confirmation note, showing how much had been credited to my account.

They were both for around 20, and the confirmation reply was from my local branch.

HTH

Alex

Reply to
Alex

In message , Alex writes

For that amount they will have been negotiated, not collected I expect. Also, it could have been that hsbc had a direct correspondence with the drawee. HSBC has fingers in many pies.

Reply to
john boyle

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