NSF Check Policy

Per Wake County deposit procedures outlined in the Deposit Framework Collection Point Receipt and & Procedures document:

All checks exchanged for County goods and services are to be made payable to Wake County. Collection points that receive payments in the mail should itemize each check on the daily Mail Receipts Log. Checks must include the pre-printed name and address of the payer on the check. Counter checks should not be accepted. Cashiers should also write the following information on all checks when accepting check payments in person:

Following these procedures when accepting checks will help with collection efforts of checks returned by the bank due to non-sufficient funds (NSF).

NSF Check Policy – updated February 2004

The following policy outlines Wake County’s NSF (non-sufficient fund) procedures. In an effort to streamline and enhance collections the following guidelines have been put in place:

Wake County Bank Procedures

A check is presented to a bank only once. To keep the cost down for the taxpayer it was decided to present only once and not twice as previously done. Once a check comes back NSF, account closed, refer to maker, stop payment, etc., Wake County will not re-deposit the check.

Service Charge

Wake County charges a standard fee of $25 for each returned check. If a customer presents a NSF check, this fee will be added onto the face value of the check and that is what the customer must pay.

Collection Procedures

When a cashier accepts a check from a customer, it is imperative that you get the Driver’s License Number. Many NSF check writers move frequently and tracking them down is not easy. The Worthless Check Program informed us that the only way they can track someone down is with the Driver’s License Number. Also, it is Wake County policy to make sure the Driver’s License Number is on all checks accepted by cashiers.

Once a NSF check is presented to Wake County, the customer is given fifteen days to make the check good. A letter will be sent certified mail from the Finance Department outlining the check number, date of check, amount of the check and total amount due. The customer is instructed to mail payment or bring it to the Finance Department. At this point, no other department within Wake County can accept payment for a NSF check. If a customer tries to pay a NSF check anywhere other than the Finance Department they must be instructed to call or go to the Finance Department.

If a customer fails to pay their NSF check within the 15 day allotment period, then a form is filled out in Finance and the customer is turned over to the District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney has created a program called The Worthless Check Program to cut down on the cost of lawsuits to the taxpayer by trying to collect on the NSF check prior to papers being filed. The Worthless Check Program Coordinator will send a letter to the offender giving them thirty days to pay the check and if they don’t respond within that thirty day allotment period, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. This program has no cost to Wake County.

It is especially important that no monies are accepted at any collection points once the customer has been turned over to the Worthless Check Program. If payment is accepted by Wake County at this point, then Wake County will have to pay the court costs associated with that particular NSF check. The fee is approximately $90 and would be charged to the department responsible for accepting payment of a NSF check that has already been turned over to The Worthless Check Program.

Posting in FAMIS

Each NSF check will be assigned an index code depending on which department the check was written to. The index code is debited the face value of the check in FAMIS using the sub-object code 61435. Once the check has been paid, that same index code and sub-object code will then be credited the face value of the check.

Notification

A contact person in each department will be notified of any NSF check for that department via email. Each contact person will be told the customer name, check number, check amount and date of the check. Once the check has been paid, another email will inform the contact person that the check has been made good.

Finance Contact

Any questions regarding NSF checks should be directed to the Finance Department. Please call Cookie Sharum at 856-6138 if you have any questions.