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Cheques how long before they are void?

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I paid a bill by cheque, the amount as been taken of my statement,but the cheque amount as not been taken out of my current acount,this happened four months ago.So how long is it before a cheque cannot be presented for payment?

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  • opinions4u
    opinions4u Posts: 19,411 Forumite
    edited 25 June 2011 at 5:57PM
    In practice, most banks will not accept a cheque deposit if the date on it is more than 6 months ago.

    In law a cheque can be accepted for payment several years (6?) after the drawn date.

    The most likely outcome here is that the company you have made the payment to will find the error in their systems and come back to you for a replacement cheque.

    Either way, assuming your bank doesn't charge, I'd stop the cheque once it's 6 months old. The honest route would be to volunteer a replacement. I confess to not having been so honest when I had a similar situation 12 years ago!
  • exel1966
    exel1966 Posts: 5,044 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    It's simply down to how eagle-eyed the bank cashier is. If he/she doesn't notice the date then the cheque could quite easily pass through the system and be paid as if it were dated today.
    Either way, budget NOW with the cheque in mind, that way you won't fall foul of any limitations (overdraft etc) on your account and incur costly charges.
  • thenudeone
    thenudeone Posts: 4,462 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Do not assume that it will not be paid over 6 months old:
    Out-of-date cheque - a cheque which is dated more than six months before the date when it was presented for payment, the bank may decline to pay it without the drawer's confirmation.
    http://www.bba.org.uk/customer/glossary-entry/Out-of-date-cheque

    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1284209
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  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,681 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Even if the recipient doesn't cash it within 6 months the cheque could be used as proof of the debt and recovered by alternative means within 6 years.
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