hgp@lzaz.ATT.COM (H.PAGE) (05/01/89)
In article <12810@jade.BBN.COM>, mlandau@bbn.com (Matt Landau) writes: > Has anyone ever heard of a supplier of checks supplied on forms that > are suitable for feeding to an Apple LaserWriter? What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print checks itself. In addition, perhaps one of the firms that refill toner cartridges can refill one with magnetic toner (is this necessary?). -- Howard G. Page AT&T LZ 1B-115K (201)576-2731 ..!att!lzaz!hgp
rob@array.UUCP (Rob Marchand) (05/02/89)
In article <555@lzaz.ATT.COM> hgp@lzaz.ATT.COM (H.PAGE) writes: >What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print >checks itself. In addition, perhaps one of the firms that refill >toner cartridges can refill one with magnetic toner (is this >necessary?). What would be *really* interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter *sign* checks :-). Then we would be in business... Sorry, I couldn't resist... ;-) Cheers! Rob Marchand rob@array.uucp -- Rob Marchand UUCP : {mnetor,utzoo}!lsuc!array!rob Array Systems Computing ARPA : rob%array.UUCP@uunet.UU.NET 200-5000 Dufferin Street Phone : +1(416)736-0900 Fax: (416)736-4715 Downsview, Ont CANADA M3H 5T5 Telex : 063666 (CNCP EOS TOR) .TO 21:ARY001
hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath) (05/03/89)
In article <555@lzaz.ATT.COM> hgp@lzaz.ATT.COM (H.PAGE) writes: }In article <12810@jade.BBN.COM>, mlandau@bbn.com (Matt Landau) writes: } }> Has anyone ever heard of a supplier of checks supplied on forms that }> are suitable for feeding to an Apple LaserWriter? } }What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print }checks itself. In addition, perhaps one of the firms that refill }toner cartridges can refill one with magnetic toner (is this }necessary?). Necessary and expensive. You'd need special, expensive toner cartridges just for writing checks. Unless you write a _lot_ of checks, it's hardly worth it. The question also raises serious security problems. You don't want just anyone able to print your checks at will. I once worked for a division of L.A. County that sent out welfare checks. They used pre-printed checks that had the amounts printed by computer and were signed by a special machine. Once someone got into the vault where they stored the blank checks, stole a pile of them out of the bottom of a box and printed themselves several hundred thousand dollars worth. The out of sequence numbers eventually tripped them up. Imagine if they'd been able to print signed, valid checks on blank paper with any numbers they wanted _on their own machine at home_. If I were in charge of such things, I'd definitely make laser-printed checks invalid, if not illegal. -- The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@ttidca.tti.com) Illegitimati Nil Citicorp(+)TTI Carborundum 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. (213) 452-9191, x2483 Santa Monica, CA 90405 {csun|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe
ray3rd@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ray E. Saddler III) (05/03/89)
In article <25@array.UUCP>, rob@array.UUCP (Rob Marchand) writes: > In article <555@lzaz.ATT.COM> hgp@lzaz.ATT.COM (H.PAGE) writes: > >What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print > >checks itself. > > What would be *really* interesting is a program to have > a Laserwriter *sign* checks :-). Not so impossible, with scanning devices virtually anything can be stored as an image and mergd into a laser print file. > Sorry, I couldn't resist... ;-) You're forgiven 8^} -- Ray E. Saddler III | __ __ __ __ | UseNet Boeing Aerospace | / / / // //| // | uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ray3rd P.O. Box 3999 m.s. 3R-05 | /-< / //- // |// _ | PhoneNet Seattle, Wa. 98124 USA | /__//_//__ // //__/ | 1+206-657-2824
jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) (05/04/89)
hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath) wrote: > [laser printing cheques] also raises serious security problems. You don't > want just anyone able to print your checks at will. If I were in charge of > such things, I'd definitely make laser-printed checks invalid, if not > illegal. I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. -- Jack Campin * Computing Science Department, Glasgow University, 17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, SCOTLAND. 041 339 8855 x6045 wk 041 556 1878 ho INTERNET: jack%cs.glasgow.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk USENET: jack@glasgow.uucp JANET: jack@uk.ac.glasgow.cs PLINGnet: ...mcvax!ukc!cs.glasgow.ac.uk!jack
amanda@intercon.UUCP (Amanda Walker) (05/04/89)
You can get MICR-only sheets of checks designed for laser printers from
Intuit, the folks that make the "Quicken" software package. You give them a
voided check or a bank MICR encoding form and they send you 8.5"x11"
sheets of three checks each, with or without your name & address pre-printed.
I haven't ordered from them, but I do have some samples from them, and they
look pretty reasonable. Here's their address & phone:
Intuit, Attn: Supplies Order, 540 University Ave.,
Palo Alto, CA 94301 (415) 322-0590
--
Amanda Walker <amanda@intercon.UUCP>brian@ncrcan.Toronto.NCR.COM (Brian Onn) (05/05/89)
In article <4354@ttidca.TTI.COM> hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath) writes: >The question also raises serious security problems. You don't want just >anyone able to print your checks at will. I once worked for a division of >L.A. County that sent out welfare checks. They used pre-printed checks >that had the amounts printed by computer and were signed by a special >machine. Once someone got into the vault where they stored the blank >checks, stole a pile of them out of the bottom of a box and printed >themselves several hundred thousand dollars worth. The out of sequence >numbers eventually tripped them up. > >Imagine if they'd been able to print signed, valid checks on blank paper >with any numbers they wanted _on their own machine at home_. If I were in >charge of such things, I'd definitely make laser-printed checks invalid, >if not illegal. (What I am about to say is not authoritative, and certainly has not been researched, but is based strictly on what I have heard to be true) I am under the impression that checks (hereinafter referred to as 'cheques') can be printed on anything, in any size, and the banks must honour it. This is what makes it possible for those huge marketing gimmick cheques, made out for charity by big organisations on 2 x 5 foot cardboard. Thus you can write cheques on toilet paper, aluminum foil, or the back of your lunch banana peel! That's just what I heard :-) (laser printer cheques seem kinda lame next to this :-)) Brian. -- +-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+ | Brian Onn | UUCP:..!{uunet!attcan, watmath!utai}!lsuc!ncrcan!brian | | NCR Canada Ltd. | INTERNET: Brian.Onn@Toronto.NCR.COM | +-------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
dandrews@rtmvax.UUCP (David Andrews) (05/05/89)
From article <555@lzaz.ATT.COM>, by hgp@lzaz.ATT.COM (H.PAGE): > In article <12810@jade.BBN.COM>, mlandau@bbn.com (Matt Landau) writes: > >> Has anyone ever heard of a supplier of checks supplied on forms that >> are suitable for feeding to an Apple LaserWriter? > > What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print > checks itself. In addition, perhaps one of the firms that refill > toner cartridges can refill one with magnetic toner (is this > necessary?). There is an outfit named Digital Design Inc. in Jacksonville FL that markets a check printer based on the Ricoh engine. It uses a specially formulated MICR toner that is acceptable to banks that care about that sort of thing. They also modify the printer so that the effective resolution is doubled so that the MICR registration is exact (MICR devices are VERY picky, and it is doubtful that your laserwriter can cut the muster). The paper you use makes a BIG difference too. Use the wrong paper and the MICR characters can be scraped off the paper with a pocketknife. Go to your favorite forms supplier and tell them what you wnt to do. They'll prescribe a long/short grain paper that suits your needs. - David Andrews
greg@cantuar.UUCP (G. Ewing) (05/05/89)
H.PAGE (hgp@lzaz.ATT.COM) writes: >What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print >checks itself. In addition, perhaps one of the firms that refill >toner cartridges can refill one with magnetic toner (is this >necessary?). Well, not sure, but I think the toner used in LaserWriter cartridges is *already* magnetic! I dismantled a toner cartridge once, and found it contained a magnetic roller which the toner particles clung to. As the roller was rotated, the toner sort of crept around it in response to the changing flux direction. This led to the bizarre thought that one might be able to magnetically record on a piece of paper with a black blob LaserWritten onto it! I don't know if the magnetic properties would survive the heat rollers, or whether there would even be enough magnetic material present to be noticeable. Maybe I'll try an experiment one day... Has anyone else noticed/thought about this, and could shed any light? Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, Canterbury Univ., Christchurch, New Zealand UUCP: ...!{watmath,munnari,mcvax,vuwcomp}!cantuar!greg Internet: greg@cantuar.uucp +-------------------------------------- Spearnet: greg@nz.ac.canterbury.cantuar | A citizen of NewZealandCorp, a Telecom: +64 3 667 001 x6367 | wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Inc.
jwc@unify.UUCP (J. William Claypool) (05/06/89)
In article <1103@cantuar.UUCP> greg@cantuar.UUCP (G. Ewing) writes: >Well, not sure, but I think the toner used in LaserWriter cartridges >is *already* magnetic! I dismantled a toner cartridge once, and found >it contained a magnetic roller which the toner particles clung to. As >the roller was rotated, the toner sort of crept around it in response >to the changing flux direction. Are you sure that it is not electrostatic rather than magnetic? -- Bill Claypool (916) 920-9092 jwc@unify.UUCP {{ucdavis,csun,lll-crg}!csusac,pyramid,sequent}!unify!jwc
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (05/06/89)
In article <1103@cantuar.UUCP>, greg@cantuar.UUCP (G. Ewing) writes: > >What would be interesting is a program to have a Laserwriter print > >checks itself. In addition, perhaps one of the firms that refill > >toner cartridges can refill one with magnetic toner (is this necessary?). > > Well, not sure, but I think the toner used in LaserWriter cartridges > is *already* magnetic! I dismantled a toner cartridge once, and found > it contained a magnetic roller which the toner particles clung to. As > the roller was rotated, the toner sort of crept around it in response > to the changing flux direction. I don't known anything about LaserWriters or laser printers which use cartridges, but in more rugged laser printers (such as the Xerox 4045) there is a magnetic material used that is called "developer". The developer is "recirculated" within the laser printer and does not mix with the toner after it has been despoited on the drum. In a normally functioning laser printer no portion of the developer is actually fused upon the resultant copy paper. You most likely saw developer and thought it was toner. <> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. - Uniquex Corp. - Viatran Corp. <> UUCP: {allegra|ames|boulder|decvax|rutgers|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <> VOICE: 716/688-1231, 716/773-1700 {att|hplabs|utzoo}!/ <> FAX: 716/741-9635, 716/773-2488 "Have you hugged your cat today?"
tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu (Tom [Chris] Murphy) (05/08/89)
In article <747@unify.UUCP> jwc@unify.UUCP (J. William Claypool) writes: >In article <1103@cantuar.UUCP> greg@cantuar.UUCP (G. Ewing) writes: [] >>is *already* magnetic! I dismantled a toner cartridge once, and found >>it contained a magnetic roller which the toner particles clung to. As [] >Are you sure that it is not electrostatic rather than magnetic? I've also pulled a couple of cartridges apart, and observed the magnet and the toner adhering to it. I think the magnet is used to insure an even spread of toner. Tom -- Thomas C. Murphy Worcester Polytechnic Institute CAD Lab Internet: tmurphy@zaphod.wpi.edu tmurphy@wpi.wpi.edu BITNET: TMURPHY@WPI CompuServe: 73766,130 "I drank what?" - Socrates
jwi@lzfme.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ) (05/09/89)
In article <3148@kitty.UUCP>, larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes: > In article <1103@cantuar.UUCP>, greg@cantuar.UUCP (G. Ewing) writes: > > Well, not sure, but I think the toner used in LaserWriter cartridges > > is *already* magnetic! I dismantled a toner cartridge once, and found > > it contained a magnetic roller which the toner particles clung to. As > > the roller was rotated, the toner sort of crept around it in response > > to the changing flux direction. > > I don't known anything about LaserWriters or laser printers > which use cartridges, but in more rugged laser printers (such as the > Xerox 4045) there is a magnetic material used that is called "developer". > The developer is "recirculated" within the laser printer and does not > mix with the toner after it has been despoited on the drum. In a > normally functioning laser printer no portion of the developer is > actually fused upon the resultant copy paper. Neither the developer nor the toner is magnetic. They are electrostatic. The xerography process works approximately as follows (I may have polarity backwards): 1. Developer is charged positive and attracts toner which becomes charged positive. 2. Drum is charged positive by corotron wire placed just ahead of laser write area. 3. Laser writes on drum. Where laser writes, charge leaks off leaving drum negative. 4. Positive charged toner is attracted to negative (written) durm are and repelled from positive (cleared) drum area. 5. Paper is charged negative by corotron wire just before impress area. 6. Positive toner (written areas) jumps from drum to paper. 7. Paper goes through fuser where heat melts toner to paper. 8. As drum continues to rotate, another corotron wire charges drum positively which causes any remaining toner on drum to jump off. It is collected in sump. This is only approximate, but the important point is that the process is entirely electrostatic, not magnetic. Jim Winer ..!lzfme!jwi I believe in absolute freedom of the press. Pax Probiscus! Please do not email anything that requires a response outside AT&T. I receive email okay, but can rarely send a reply sucessfully. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily Those persons who advocate censorship offend my religion.
peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (05/09/89)
In article <2893@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: > I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, > so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being > written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. Sounds like an urban legend to me, simply because I've heard the same story set in the U.S. -- Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation. Business: uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter, peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180. Personal: ...!texbell!sugar!peter, peter@sugar.hackercorp.com.
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (05/10/89)
In article <1325@lzfme.att.com>, jwi@lzfme.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ) writes: > > > Well, not sure, but I think the toner used in LaserWriter cartridges > > > is *already* magnetic! I dismantled a toner cartridge once, and found > > > it contained a magnetic roller which the toner particles clung to. As > > > the roller was rotated, the toner sort of crept around it in response > > > to the changing flux direction. > > > > I don't known anything about LaserWriters or laser printers > > which use cartridges, but in more rugged laser printers (such as the > > Xerox 4045) there is a magnetic material used that is called "developer". > > The developer is "recirculated" within the laser printer and does not > > mix with the toner after it has been despoited on the drum. In a > > normally functioning laser printer no portion of the developer is > > actually fused upon the resultant copy paper. > > Neither the developer nor the toner is magnetic. They are > electrostatic. This is simply not true of all laser printers and xerographic copiers. While I don't have a complete listing in front of me, I can tell you with certainty that: 1. MAGNETIC developer is used in the Xerox 2020, 2300, 2350, 2600, 3100, 3107, 3109, 3400 and 3450 xerographic copiers. 3. MAGNETIC developer is used in the Xerox 4045 laser printer. 3. MAGNETIC toner is used in the Xerox 2020, 2300, 2350, 2600, 3100, 3107, 3109, 3300, 3400 and 3450 xerographic copiers. <> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. - Uniquex Corp. - Viatran Corp. <> UUCP: {allegra|ames|boulder|decvax|rutgers|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <> VOICE: 716/688-1231, 716/773-1700 {att|hplabs|utzoo}!/ <> FAX: 716/741-9635, 716/773-2488 "Have you hugged your cat today?"
richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton) (05/10/89)
In article <4121@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <2893@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: >> I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, >> so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being >> written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. > >Sounds like an urban legend to me, simply because I've heard the same story >set in the U.S. Wait a minute. I heard it too. In Canada. It was a cheque written on a cow in England, but drafted against an American bank. Q.D.E. nono D.E.Q no damn E.D... nuts Q.E.D Ah! -- ``But if she wants it (particularly if she wants it bad), I am going to have a hard time saying "no".'' - Ted Kaldis richard@gryphon.COM decwrl!gryphon!richard gryphon!richard@elroy.jpl.NASA.GOV
dan@amperif.UUCP (Dan Mehlhorn) (05/10/89)
In the toner I use, I understand that there is some Magnetite (SP?). but not enough to consider it as a Magnetic Ink. The electrostatic charges in a laser printer (Canon Engine) are opposite that of a copier (Canon PC copiers). The process described in an earlier post is not exactly accurate for the Canon Engine laser printers. I used the term Canon Engine, because Apple, HP and others licensed the print engines, thus a LaserWriter cartridge will fit into a LaserJetII! -- Every child deserves a home of his own. - Harry Holt Dan Mehlhorn uucp: dan@hdr.uucp All comments are my own. No one else should be blamed for them.
blarson@skat.usc.edu (Bob Larson) (05/11/89)
The xerox 9790MCR is designed to print checks and uses special
magnetic ink. (If you want this option, you have to order the
special model that ONLY uses magnetic ink -- the normal 9790 does
not.) The ink caractaristics are different -- the first hundred
or so pages in the morning are a bit on the light side in the MCR
model.
--
Bob Larson Arpa: blarson@skat.usc.edu
Uucp: {uunet,cit-vax}!usc!skat!blarson
Prime mailing list: info-prime-request%ais1@ecla.usc.edu
usc!ais1!info-prime-requestcramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (05/11/89)
In article <4121@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: > In article <2893@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: # # I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, # # so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being # # written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. # # Sounds like an urban legend to me, simply because I've heard the same story # set in the U.S. # -- # Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation. Our local television station covered what happened when a leftist tax protestor (if only there were more!) delivered her payment check to the IRS -- written on the side of a 7-foot mockup of the MX missle! According to the bank officer they interviewed, it was legal, but the handling charges by the bank would be pretty phenomenal. -- Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer Assault rifle possession is a victimless crime. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer? You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!
wcs) (05/11/89)
In article <4121@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: ]In article <2893@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: ]> I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, ]> so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being ]> written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. Banks used to generally accept handwritten checks on any reasonable material, though the last 10-20 years they've been insisting on more standardised versions - partly to prevent fraud but mostly due to increased mechanisation for cost-cutting and Federal Reserve inflexibility. The cow story is unlikely - cows are valuable, and don't fit into automatic teller machine slots. -- # Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G218 Holmdel NJ 201-949-0705 ho95c.att.com!wcs # also found at 201-271-4712 tarpon.att.com!wcs # welcome, to mars, eh, hosers! Have a brew and some donuts, eh?
cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (05/12/89)
In article <524@cbnewsh.ATT.COM>, wcs@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (Bill Stewart 201-949-0705 ho95c.att.com!wcs) writes: > In article <4121@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: > ]In article <2893@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: > ]> I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, > ]> so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being > ]> written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. > > Banks used to generally accept handwritten checks on any reasonable > material, though the last 10-20 years they've been insisting on > more standardised versions - partly to prevent fraud but mostly due > to increased mechanisation for cost-cutting and Federal Reserve > inflexibility. An entertaining tale of handwritten checks. As many of you are aware, Texas doesn't (or at least didn't) have branch banking -- there was a bank, but no branches. Counter checks were very commonly used -- you would fill in your account number and your bank name, and that would be that. (Talk about trust!) The mother of a friend was working at one point for the Texas equivalent of the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, and noticed that one of the checks they had accepted was drawn on an account with the Left Bank of the Missisippi. -- Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer Assault rifle possession is a victimless crime. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer? You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!
alfie@warwick.UUCP (Nick Holloway) (05/12/89)
-=[ Written by wcs@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (Bill Stewart 201-949-0705 ho95c.att.com!wcs) in comp.lang.postscript ]=- > In article <4121@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes: > ]In article <2893@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>, jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin) writes: > ]> I don't know about US law, but in Britain you can write a cheque on anything, > ]> so you couldn't prohibit this. There has even been a case of a cheque being > ]> written on the side of a cow and honoured by the bank. > > [ States cheques/checks can be written on anything ] > [ - but the bank will love you for ever! ] > > The cow story is unlikely - cows are valuable, and don't fit into > automatic teller machine slots. I have also heard the cow story. The argument about being valuable does not apply, since then cheques were returned to you (Nowadays your branch holds onto them). So he would have got the cow back, probably with some official stamp on it. I believe it was done because the farmer was disgruntled about the bill he had to pay (probably tax). Now to get back to this newsgroup: Does anybody know of any PostScript laser printer that has a manual cow feed option? [In case you didn't realise :-)**n ] -- JANET : alfie@uk.ac.warwick.cs | `O O' | Nick Holloway BITNET/EARN : alfie%uk.ac.warwick.cs@ukacrl | // ^ \\ | Comp Sci Dept INTERNET : alfie%cs.warwick.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk | Uni of Warwick UUCP : ..!mcvax!ukc!warwick!alfie, alfie@warwick.UUCP | Coventry, UK.
howeird@hpwrce.HP.COM (Howard Stateman) (05/15/89)
>Now to get back to this newsgroup: >Does anybody know of any PostScript laser printer that has a manual >cow feed option? >JANET : alfie@uk.ac.warwick.cs | `O O' | Nick Holloway That's VERY funny! But seriously, don't all you wondeful people ever see these PR photos in the papers of some charity being presented with a poster-sized check? There's also a check-printing company somewhere in California which makes mock-ups of something that looks vaguely like a $1 bill, but they put your picture in the center, and overprint a check form (complete with your name and address in the upper left). The problem with making a cow-check is that you lose the use of all that manure while the bank is processing it, and they may charge you for feed... # ## ### # # # ##### # # # ### # # ## -------------------------------------------------------------------- |Howard Stateman, Hewlett-Packard Response Center, Mountain View, CA | |howeird@hpwrce.HP.COM or hplabs!hpwrce!howeird | |Disclaimer: I couldn't possibly speak for HP. I know too much. | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| |Sysop of the Anatomically Correct BBS (415) 364-3739 | --------------------------------------------------------------------
hansen@cs.wmich.edu ( Jeff Hansen) (05/21/89)
All this talk of cow checks reminded me of an article in "More
of The Straight Dope," a veritable font of off-the-wall information.
Here - it is.
Today, again, I found myself out shopping without my checkbook.
Only this time, I vaguely recalled once hearing that a person can write
a check on any old piece of paper. Is or was this true, or is my
memory failing? If true, what are the requirements as to what must
be written, besides the amount and your signature - account number?
Bank? Am I paying for blank checks I don't really need?
-- Jon G., Laurel, Maryland
Don't throw out those puppies yet, Jack. It's true you can write
a "negotiable instrument," which is bank talk for a valid check, on just
about anything. According to the Uniform Commercial code, the body
of law that governs these things, all you have to include are the name
of the payee, the dollar amount, the name of your bank, your signature,
the date, and some suitable words of conveyance, such as "pay to the
order of." You don't need the account number or the bank ID number you
find on preprinted checks.
The trick is that you have to find somebody willing to _accept_ such
a check. Merchants and the like are free to reject any sort of
payment they don't cotton to, checks included. Needless to say, if
you try to write a check on the back of an old grocery list, the average
checkout clerk is going to tell you to take a hike. However, if the
clerk does accept it, the bank will honor it.
Charlie Rice, a columnist for the old _This Week_ Sunday newspaper
supplement, once wrote about various goofy checks that had been
successfully cashed over the years. Here are a few of the choicer
examples:
+ Eben Grumpy of Iowa was a little slow in paying John Sputter
$30 he owed him. (The names are genuine, Rice claimed.) Sputter
threatened to sue, so Grumpy painted a check on a door and dropped
it on him from a third-story window next time Sputter came over. A
court ruled the door was legal payment.
+ Albert Haddock of England once paid his taxes by whitewashing
a check for 26 pounds, 10 shillings on the side of a cow. The
check was ruled legal.
+ A participant in an arc-welding contest in Cleveland (Ohioans
obviously know how to have a good time) won first prize for a steel
check that he hand-lettered. The check was cashed by officials at
a cooperative bank. "The canceling holes," Charlie says, "were applied
by a bank guard with a submachine gun." Right.
Many nonstandard checks are publicity stunts, such as the 21-by-7 foot
check cashed for a charity drive in Fort Worth. Most others are
intended as nuisances. As a rule, I would venture to say, checks in the
latter category get sent through the mail, for the obvious reason that
they're a lot harder for the payee to reject. Just about any large
company can tell you stories about comedians who send in checks written
on underwear, bricks, and other inconvenient media. One common stunt
is to write your annual tax check to the IRS on a shirt (the shirt off
your back, get it?) Swiftian satire it ain't, but I'm sure some find
it amusing.
-------------------
These and other non-PostScript Q-n-A sessions can be found within
"The Straight Dope," and "More of The Straight Dope," written by Cecil
Adams. Get it! (Reprinted without permission!)
"Nice owl...must be expensive"
x87hansen10@gw.wmich.edugeof@apolling (Geof Cooper) (05/23/89)
In article <529@cs.wmich.edu> hansen@cs.wmich.edu ( Jeff Hansen) writes: > The trick is that you have to find somebody willing to _accept_ such >a check. Merchants and the like are free to reject any sort of >payment they don't cotton to, checks included. Needless to say, if Another important point is that banks can certainly charge a greater than usual processing charge to process one. You may find that the complaint from your bank is that you didn't write the checks on forms that contain your account information in magnetic ink. This increases the banks processing cost for the check. I would expect them to charge you for this hassle.