Legal types: mystery cheque - do I cash it?

[dafuzz]

Just got in from a weekend of ... errr ... can't remember to find a cheque for £600.04 on the doormat. It came in a small brown windowed envelope and there's no details of who actually sent it! It says on it 'present within one month' at the top and 'not negotiable' next to the sum. On the back it says some guff about crossed and uncrossed cheques but also 'Make sure you cash this cheque within one month of the date shown on it. You may lose money if you do not do this'.

The problem is I'm currently taking my ex-employer to court for breach of contract (not following the published disciplinary procedures when firing me) and I've complained to my bank over bank charges and they said they'd get back to me. If it turns out either of them have sent me this cheque 'in full and final settlement' but I haven't received their letter will cashing it kill my case?

On the other hand I got a phone call from HMRC a few weeks back saying I was due a rebate - could be that I suppose, but I've had rebates before and they used to come with a breakdown of what I paid etc.

Dammit I'd rather like an SG or a Flying V and this cheque basically covers it

[Red Rabbit]

I may be being dumb here, but don't cheques tend to have the payers name on them? Surely you're ex-employers, bank or HMR&C would have no issue with displaying their name on a cheque.

All in all it sounds a little suspect to me. Are you sure it isn't one of those fake cheques that reader digest and the like send out to get you to enter their competitions?

[dafuzz]

Originally Posted by Red Rabbit

Are you sure it isn't one of those fake cheques that reader digest and the like send out to get you to enter their competitions?

I'm not a complete spazz - but yeah I thought the payer always appeared on a cheque too

It has my name, address and NI number on it. I'm not sure my bank would have my NI number? Very possibly they do I just can't remember them having quoted it before.

I vaguely remember the CSA writing to me yonks ago to say I'd overpaid by £600-odd, but when I rang them they said it had been a mistake.

I'm sooo fucking tempted to just cash it and go GASsing dagnammit!

[Red Rabbit]

Can't you just ring your bank etc in the morning to see if they've sent you the cheque? I appreciate there may be issues with ringing you ex-employers yourself but you must have some way of communicating with them.

[holnrew]

Cash it in but don't spend it.

[dafuzz]

I googled the return address on the envelope - it's the CSA! Idiots. I'm really annoyed how shit they are.

If they've approached my ex to reclaim this amount there's no way she'll believe I didn't have anything to do with it - I'm worried she'll get funny about letting me take my little girl away to Disneyland in October now.

Buggeration

[mattbanshee]

Originally Posted by dafuzz

I googled the return address on the envelope - it's the CSA! Idiots. I'm really annoyed how shit they are.

If they've approached my ex to reclaim this amount there's no way she'll believe I didn't have anything to do with it - I'm worried she'll get funny about letting me take my little girl away to Disneyland in October now.

Buggeration

I don't think they would've done... Doesn't it work on the basis that, you pay the CSA, they pay her, and on this occasion you've paid them more than you should've done, but they've paid her the correct amount?

Fair play for paying though, my lady hasn't seen a penny from the dad of her kid.

[evilmags]

Bank it, but don't spend it. Write and ask them to confirm they have sent it to you, and when they reply, then decide what to do witrh the money.

[fretmeister]

Originally Posted by evilmags

Bank it, but don't spend it. Write and ask them to confirm they have sent it to you, and when they reply, then decide what to do witrh the money.

Yes.

[scrumhalf]

Originally Posted by evilmags

Bank it, but don't spend it. Write and ask them to confirm they have sent it to you, and when they reply, then decide what to do witrh the money.

+1

By the time they get back to you it'll probably be worth about a tenner, I understand that they take months to acknowledge letters, never mind respond to them.