The post

What I discovered on November 9th I would have never expected on October 30th.  October 30th was the day "the check" was written.

Let it be said that I have plenty of money - in one of my accounts.  So when I got the phone call on November 2 from the recipient of check  #830 that my bank reversed the funds from the check I written to her I just figured that I needed to move money from savings to checking (which I did) and then realized I didn't need to because I had in fact been paid that week (I didn't have Diane around to remind when payday was).  I guess I assumed to quickly that my lack of attention in account management was the issue.

Had I paid notice that the check had actually cleared on October 31, she had access to the money and then the money was deposited back poor recipient of check #830 would have had much less grief.

Instead I apologized profusely, explained it great detail how my fund management works, and offered to get her a new check when I returned to town unless the bank would let her try again on November 6 (again had I paid attention to any amount of detail the timing would have meant something to me).

Fast forward to November 9.  This was the day I decided to read the mail.  I had a letter dated from the bank on November 2 that they believed my checkbook had been stolen and a fraudulent check written.  While I was on the phone with the bank the poor recipient of check #830 called to see if she could get a new check.

Apparently I never write checks, or so infrequently that my checks are reviewed. Apparently I break every rule that triggers an audit looking or fraudulent check writing

1. My signature never looks the same or like my signature card (this is probably because it is most often signed at stop lights)
2. The writing on the rest of check is never the same (that is because it depends who my passenger is who writes out the check. In the case of #830 it was Tarzan)
3. The numbers on my checks are on in order and appear very random (that's because it depends which car I am since there is a checkbook in each vehicle)
4. I rarely write large checks (#830 was 4 times the amount of any check written in the last 5 years)
5. All checks reviewed for fraudulence must wait 5 days (who knew) to wait for account owner to respond (if my case they called Tarzans old work number)

On November 9 the recipient of check #830 got her money, an apology letter from my bank to her bank asking to waive the $175 in her overdraft fees and a $12.50 check from my bank to cover the reversal fee.

So, I wrote 5 checks this week - following all the rules. And have moved the money transferred to checking back to savings. I'm sure I will transfer again by the end of the week.