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Cheque payments

Hi
Can anyone confirm if it's true that a debt paid via cheque is considered to be settled immediately upon the cheque having been posted to the creditor?

Comments

  • le_loup
    le_loup Posts: 4,047 Forumite
    I would imagine that the debt is settled upon clearance of the cheque.
  • jonesMUFCforever
    jonesMUFCforever Posts: 28,898 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hi
    Can anyone confirm if it's true that a debt paid via cheque is considered to be settled immediately upon the cheque having been posted to the creditor?

    Incorrect.
    What if the cheque is never received by the beneficiary?

    To get round this why not use a modern method of paying such as faster payment?
  • I was seeking clarification from a legal point, Guys. I seem to recall reading sometime back that once the cheque had been posted to the creditor the debt was deemed to have been paid. You had to have proof of posting ie copy of the stamped addressed envelope, recorded delivery slip etc and maybe also a copy of the cheque would be useful but unnecessary. I was just wondering if that was still the case.
  • jonesMUFCforever
    jonesMUFCforever Posts: 28,898 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I was seeking clarification from a legal point, Guys. I seem to recall reading sometime back that once the cheque had been posted to the creditor the debt was deemed to have been paid. You had to have proof of posting ie copy of the stamped addressed envelope, recorded delivery slip etc and maybe also a copy of the cheque would be useful but unnecessary. I was just wondering if that was still the case.

    Have a look here you might find the answer:

    http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1958/mar/18/the-cheques-act-and-receipts
  • bengal-stripe
    bengal-stripe Posts: 3,354 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    ......once the cheque had been posted to the creditor the debt was deemed to have been paid.

    And if the cheque bounces subsequently, so the creditor has received a worthless piece of paper, is the debt being paid as well? The cheque is an instruction to the bank to pay someone a specified amount. For a variety of reasons (errors, insufficient funds etc) the bank cannot or will not pay.

    The debt is paid, once the creditor has received the money in his/her account.
  • MDMD
    MDMD Posts: 1,571 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You might be thinking of the postal rule for contract acceptance

    http://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/communications-law/postal-rule-is-a-historical-ruling.php
  • I agree with MDMD ^^^
    Attended a course on this particular point (Contract Management & Law) last Summer and this area was covered.
    Pay all your debt by Xmas 2023 - #39 £2,570.09 / £12,000.00 (21.4%)
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