JPMorgan Chase

I was at the Chase Irvine CA (13128 Jamboree Road) branch and was not happy with the service I received. They would not cash a check that was written to me from my elderly aunt in Fresno. The check was stale (over 6 months old) and that was the issue. The teller would not cash it, so I requested the manager. He also refused to authorize cashing the check. The amount was $50, and was written last Christmas. The manager insisted that I request my aunt to re-issue the Christmas check. I refused because I didn't want to bother my aunt with such a minor request. When I insisted that Chase cash the check. My main bank is Chase. My aunt's check was written on a Chase account. The bank could check both our accounts to verify that both parties could cover the check.

The bank manager still refused to cash the check. I refused to leave the line until I was served. The manager threatened to have security remove me from the bank. I still refused to leave the line. Since this branch only has two lines, this created a problem for the bank. All other lines are for people to use the ATM. The teller closed his window. I was willing to hold up the line for the rest of the day because this had become a fight for my principals. Personal checks never expire. After 6 months, banks apparently have the discretion to cash stale-dated checks. However, for me, since my bank was Chase, my Aunt's bank was Chase, Chase is the best bank to cash the check. Going to another branch was not a satisfactory solution. Chase had the discretion of serving me, and they choose not to. Eventually, a bank executive assisted me to deposit the check into the ATM and withdrawal the equivalent amount of money from my account, so there was a peaceful settlement. But I am still unhappy about my treatment at Chase.

My treatment was abysmal. Any bank that was interested in serving it's customer to HIS SATISFACTION should have used their discretion to cash a Christmas check for $50. The bank was not in danger in losing that money since both Chase accounts had plenty of money to cover. This is ridiculous and an outrage.

I hope everyone can see how poorly I was treated. Chase Bank is not a class operation. It's managers are tiny-minded dictators that are not willing to work with their customers so that they are satisfied. Instead, they are threatened with expulsion by force.

I want to note that the stale check rule is just a contrivance made up by banks because they don't like to cash old checks. 6 months to become stale is arbitrary. 5 months or a year, it was just a time period banks made up. According to the law, personal checks are good forever. But because someone decided they didn't like cashing old checks, a rule was made up and is followed by the industry. But because the law says that personal checks are good forever, it's discretionary whether a bank will accept them. Note that the solution was to deposit the check via ATM. The ATM can accept checks that a teller and his manager apparently would not. That is stupid and ridiculous. The manager didn't want to make a discretionary decision, and decided he would rather have an unhappy and dissatisfied customer. I suppose he is awarded for being a gutless wimp. Who cares about the customer?

It is my understanding that it's at the bank's discretion whether to respect a stale dated check.

https://www.bankersonline.com/qa/status-stale-datedpost-dated-checks