I would think that the date that is on the check should be the responsibility of the "payee" to honor. If you postdated the check and wrote it directly to the bank and they did not ask you to redate the check, then you would have an argument that they implicitly agreed to wait until said date to cash the check. Your argument should be with whoever you paid your rent to. They should not have desposited your check until the date that was on it. Banks would have a paperwork nightmare if they were obliged to honor the dates on checks. They would have to continually hold on to them until the date occurred which would certainly cause an even higher increase in service fees.
In the past, if I tried to cash a paycheck a day early, they'd never let me. But, if a check is coming through and they can get some extra charges on it, they're more than happy to cash it. How is that even remotely fair?
Its a necessity to be driving a brand new SUV every two years? Have every channel possible on their TV screen? Best internet service? Clean kitchen because it hasn't been used in a month? There are ways a person can cut back. The date is as important as for the blank on the lower left hand corner of the check. I'd be upset if banks didn't cash my check the many times i wrote the dates wrong, specifically at the beginning of a new year. Some things are common sense.
I know folks who drive beat up cars, have no cable or Internet service and seldom, if ever, eat out. They live paycheck to paycheck and have no other choice.
I believe that according to the UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) banks have the option of paying or returning a post-dated check. Either way it could put the customer in a bind since some merchants will charge you for a returned check. Apparently if you notify the bank that they will be receiving a post-dated check, they are then obligated to process it on the proper date. Of course, they probably charge a fee for that.
You know, you're right. Every single person living paycheck to paycheck is doing so for these reasons.
That's fine, but if they're going to take money out of your account even if the check is dated later, they shouldn't refuse to cash checks you bring in if they're dated later.
