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Category: Bad Check Collection

Dealing with bounced checks can be a headache for business owners. The frustration kicks in when a customer hands over a check with insufficient funds, leaving you to navigate the aftermath. When the bank echoes the insufficient funds sentiment, you may find yourself at a crossroads, pondering the best way to proceed without adding to your financial burdens. Fortunately, Georgia’s bad check laws offer some hope, providing a framework for effective bounced checl legal action.

Why Bad Check Collection Services Are Crucial

In business, bad check collection services become your crucial allies. These services specialize in navigating the legal intricacies of bounced checks, offering a lifeline to companies grappling with the results of insufficient funds. From understanding the nuances of bad check laws to implementing effective collection strategies, these services play a pivotal role in easing the burden on business owners.

5 Top Options for Bounced Check Legal Action

  1. Direct Contact with the Issuer: Initiate communication with the check issuer to inform them of the bounced check. Often, this step prompts resolution without resorting to legal measures.
  2. Utilize Bad Check Laws: Leverage Georgia’s bad check laws, which provide a legal framework for pursuing collection. Ensure you follow the proper procedures outlined in the state laws.
  3. Small Claims Court: For relatively smaller amounts, pursuing legal action in small claims court can be a cost-effective and efficient way to recover the funds.
  4. Consult a Bad Check Collection Attorney: Seeking guidance from a bad check collection attorney can be a strategic move. Attorneys well-versed in bad check laws can provide expert advice and escalate legal proceedings when necessary.
  5. Mediation Services: Opt for mediation services to facilitate a structured negotiation between you and the check issuer. A neutral third party can help mediate an agreement without the need for formal legal action, potentially saving time and costs.

Count on Howe & Associates Legal Solutions for Bad Check Collection Services

Navigating the complexities of bad check collection requires a proven process and expertise. Since 1985, Howe & Associates Legal Solutions has been assisting clients in recovering bad check amounts and additional penalties. Our experienced bad check collection attorneys understand the intricacies of the laws surrounding bad checks. We provide clients with tailored strategies for successful collection.

By choosing a seasoned bad check collection attorney from Howe & Associates, you protect your commercial rights. In addition, you increase the chances of recovering the payment you deserve. In fact, we go the extra mile, enabling you to potentially double the amount of the original check, up to $500 plus fees.

Contact Howe & Associates today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step toward successful bounced check legal action. Let our dedicated legal firm be the guiding force in reclaiming what’s rightfully yours.

Even if you take precautions when accepting checks, you may still be given a bad check from time to time. When you have provided a service or product to someone, you deserve to be paid. There is nothing quite as frustrating as discovering the bank returned a check you accepted due to insufficient funds or a closed account.  Writing a check on a closed account or having insufficient funds may constitute a crime in Georgia.  In addition, this may give rise to a civil claim for damages.  Civil damages for writing bad checks are provided for and fully outlined in OCGA 13-6-15.  At Howe & Associates, our experienced collection attorney can help you file a lawsuit to get the money owed to you. However, there are a few steps you should take first.

Make a Call to the Check Writer

While many customers write bad checks knowingly, in some cases they simply make a mistake. They may have balanced their checkbook incorrectly. Or, there may have been a mistake with the paycheck from the job. We encourage business owners to call the customer first. They can inform them that their check was returned and allow them to pay what they owe.  If they cannot pay you by check, you could ask them to pay by cash.  Plan on contacting the customer more than once, but always follow best practices when calling and don’t call in the early morning or evening hours.  Most importantly, never threaten the debtor when speaking to them, but instead, be polite but firm.

Send a Certified Letter

Unfortunately, sometimes making a phone call doesn’t work when someone has given a bad check. So, the next step is to send a certified letter to the writer of the bad check. In the letter, you should request repayment and inform them of the next steps you plan to take if they do not pay. Make sure you keep a copy of the letter and records of any interactions between you and the check writer.

Hire a Professional When Given a Bad Check

If someone has given a bad check to you and you are unable to collect the money owed you through a letter, it is time to seek out the help of a bad check collection attorney. With the help of a lawyer, you can sue the check writer for as much as double the check amount, up to $500.

To learn more about what to do when you are given a bad check, contact Howe & Associations to schedule a visit with one of our experienced bad check collection attorneys.

Not all people write bad checks with malicious intent. In many cases, the writer simply made a mistake balancing their checkbook. And, they are horrified to learn they have written a bad check. These people often quickly resolve these circumstances, and they typically pay the amount due as soon as they are able. However, there are times when you must take action to collect on bad checks.

Unfortunately, some writers of bad checks are fully aware that they do not have sufficient funds to cover the amount. This requires the business owner to take more drastic actions as they seek out payment for the goods or services provided. So, if you have bad checks you are looking to resolve, it is important to move quickly. There is typically a statute of limitations when you collect on bad checks.

Statute of Limitations on Bad Checks in Georgia

Unfortunately, most states have a short statute of limitations in place that applies to collecting on bad checks. In Georgia, the statute of limitations is two years. This means that, if you are trying to collect on a bad check written to your business, you only have two years to collect the debt.

How to Collect Quickly on Bad Checks

Two years seems like plenty of time to collect on a bad checks. On the other hand, you will be surprised to find out just how long it can take to collect on unpaid debts. And, the best way to move quickly is to hire a professional debt collection agency. Most importantly, an agency will have the resources necessary to aggressively collect on unpaid debts.

As a business owner, there are a limited number of strategies you can use to collect on bad checks. However, a debt collection lawyer can file suit, elevating your collection efforts quickly, before the statute of limitations has passed.

So, if you are in Atlanta or the surrounding areas, contact us today. You can begin working with a lawyer at Howe & Associates Debt Collection Attorneys immediately.