Tuesday, November 14, 2006
WWYD?
My very odd and eccentric (that is putting it nicely) Grandmother sent Harry a nice birthday card for his upcoming birthday. Included was a check made out to him. How the heck is a baby supposed to cash a check? I am thinking we will just sign (I really can't call it forging since he can't actually write) his name and put it in his savings account. Seriously, who writes a check to a baby?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
11 comments:
My grandparents do the same thing. We just cash the check.
Does the baby have an account in his name? As long as the check is going into an account that bears the name of the payee, you're good to go.
I think the laws about cashing checks for underage children vary from state to state, but I think most of them allow parents or guardians to sign the checks with no problem. Really, a check is a legal document - a contract transferring ownership of assets from one person to another and, since a minor can't sign a contract or legally own property or assets, everything that "belongs" to him is really yours. You're acting as his agent when you sign the check. I'm pretty sure you're fine.
This only applies to minors, though: you (I'm not talking YOU, specifically here, but "you" generally) can get in just as much trouble for forging the signature on the back of a check as you can for forging one on the front. I know this - I worked in banks for years and actually testified in the case of someone who tried to cash a check not made out to her.
Talk to your bank about what to do in the case of checks made out to babies. I'm pretty sure it's no big deal.
mrs. chili, you are awesome. i'm totally coming to you for any bank questions in the future. ;)
but yeah, what? why make it addressed to the baby? what's also annoying is how my parents make checks to me using my husband's last name. i've never changed my name and don't plan on it. this way i have to take my husband in to cash the damn things!
The grandparents here do the same thing, too. Somehow it always works out.
Cash it and buy clothes. For yourself. College funds can wait. Holiday sales cannot ....
My grandfather has always done the same thing for my kids. We have always been able to either just cash it or deposit into an account, by signing our own name on the back, as their parent. My eight year old got one for his brithday a couple of weeks ago and finally he printed his name alone. He was quite proud of that!
We have had that happen now and again. We usually sign "xxx xxx for xxx xxx", and bring the baby with us and show ID when we cash it. Then we just buy something for the baby with the money (although if you have savings in the baby's name, you could deposit it there.)
You should be able to sign your own name and then write "minor" under that.
My hubby's family always does that, and that's what we've always done.
we sign for him and the bank never has a problem...I would check with your bank.
wow Harry has his own money now! I hope he spends it wisely. lol
Mom, Harry has had his own money for awhile now. We opened savings accounts for the boys with some of our Tax Refund. We figured that since they helped us get some of the money they deserved some of it too.
Post a Comment