[MR] Returned Checks

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Gather round, children, Aunty Gise has a story to tell you . . . Once upon a time an event was held and people sent money so they could attend . . . 

I've been involved with organizing any number of SCA, school, church, civic, 4-H and other events in my forty-mumble years. Any time that folks (or churches or schools or 4-H groups) pay with checks a certain number of those pretty pieces of paper come bouncing back down the street all the way from the bank. Every time. 

I'm not here to tsk tsk at anyone or to wag my finger in anyone's face. It happens.

Enough of those bouncing checks have had my name on them that I understand the variety of missteps that can cause their advent. Miscalculations, direct deposit paychecks that always come on Wednesday but come this week on Thursday, deposits that ride around in my spouse's car for a week rather then going straight to the bank, bank errors such as depositing the money for Kathy L. Rauhauser-Smith in the account of Kathleen L. Smith or Kathryn M. Rauhauser (both have happened to me . . . both have happened more then once.)

It happens.

But can I beg, on the behalf of exchequers, autocrats, gate keepers, reservationists, event stewards and all the other event-related officers in this beautiful kingdom, take pity on us. Take care when you write a check. If your bank sends you notice that you've bounced a check to us, take the initiative and contact the exchequer of the group or the reservationist to whom you sent your money. Tell them what's happened and work out the details of making it right. 

Most of the banks charge the group a returned check fee . . . in our case it's $8 a returned check. Be prepared to pay that charge as well. It's one of the worst parts of being an exchequer. No one wants to be a collection agent. It's uncomfortable . . . please. Pretty please? 

And they all lived happily ever after. The End.