What to do if somebody writes you a bad check…

The area of returned checks is most certainly one of the largest problems many businesses face today. This area of fraud is costly to consumers and proprietors alike. The Massachusetts General Laws handle the problem of ‘bad’ checks in several specific ways. There are several important pieces of information that clerks need to obtain in order for the Police Department to assist in processing of criminal actions. It is essential that date of birth, social security number, drivers license number and telephone number be obtained at the point of sale. When a check is returned to the business, an attempt to contact the maker must be made by the business. A registered letter, must be sent to the last known address of the maker. If payment is not made within 2 days of receipt of the notice, a criminal proceeding may begin. An agent for the business must appear in at the Hingham District Court between the hours of 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM and request an application for criminal complaint. It will be necessary at this time to provide the name, address, date of birth and social security number of the person that wrote the check. Notice of hearing will be sent to the address and a representative of the store will be required to attend the clerks hearing. If the result of the hearing is the issuance of a criminal complaint, the Hanover Police Prosecutor will be responsible for handling the criminal case. Special circumstances may exist depending on the check amount, or the status of the bank account at the time the check was written.