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**tymaboy** · 07-09-2010, 06:39 AM

I think if it had been me. I would have just said thank you & I will talk to her later when she dropped off the money. I would not have had her wait since you were busy with another family at the time. My policy is they get charged $20 if they give me a bad check plus any additional fee from the bank. Then cash only after that. So she would have owed me $20 & have to pay cash from now on.

**Daycare Mommy** · 07-09-2010, 06:40 AM

((hugs)) I hate situations like that.

I switched to cash in advance only years ago and that solves just about every payment headache. My only regret is not doing it sooner!

**MrsCoffee** · 07-09-2010, 07:01 AM

I did put her on a cash only from here on out. Thanks I was just so agitated especially since she made me feel like I was victimizing her.... I know I have to be tough but sometimes it leaves ya feeling icky

**MrsCoffee** · 07-09-2010, 07:03 AM

I agrree I shouldn't have let her stay since I was handling business. I am making a mental note of that one

**Crystal** · 07-09-2010, 07:04 AM

I'm not sure I follow....I see she pays on Wed. so money should have been available then, right? BUT, she told you it would definitely be there on Friday and you still tried to cash it on Thursday?

Has this parent had issues paying on time before? If so, then I'd be upset and would probably charge a late fee. If she hasn't I would have made the exception this time and cashed the check on Friday, with the understanding that if it happens again there will be late charges and cash only from now on.

I am SO glad I have never had a parent bounce a check on me, that would be so frustrating!

**professionalmom** · 07-09-2010, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by krogers1982 View Post

I did put her on a cash only from here on out. Thanks I was just so agitated especially since she made me feel like I was victimizing her.... I know I have to be tough but sometimes it leaves ya feeling icky

Once she started into the "you're singling me out and victimizing me" attitude, I would have simply stated, "You signed a contract. I am upholding my end. I expect you to do the same. I am treating you the same as I would any other client. I was being nice and understanding by giving you a break and not charging a late payment fee. However, if you continue to complain about me expecting my payment on time, I will charge the late payment fee. I do not give exceptions/special treatment to ANY client. That is what is fair and I expect you to respect and appreciate that."

Thank God the only client that bounced a check with me was awesome about it. I checked my account 2 days after it bounced. In that time, I had made many small purchases at different stores (grocery, hardware, crafts, etc.) and accumulated 8 NSF charges resulting from the bounced check. Luckily, I had it in my contract that the client is responsible for the bounced check, the bank charges, and all resulting charges from me bouncing checks due to their bounced check. Imagine my horror when I checked the account to find I was almost $500 overdrawn!

I called the dad and explained the situation and that I needed for him to pay for the check, the bank fee, and the resulting NSF charges. I apologized that it was affecting him by so much money. He said, "Why should you be sorry? It wasn't your fault. It was ours. What time can I come by today and pay you?" I just about passed out by how upstanding and responsible he was. I was really terrified (before I made the call) that I would lose that family over this and they were really cool about everything. That family has been with me for almost a year and this weekend will be their last because they are moving out of state to be closer to extended family. I will definitely miss them. Bring on the tears and Kleenex!

**MarinaVanessa** · 07-09-2010, 08:24 AM

Her day to pay is Wednesday, not Thursday, not Friday. WEDNESDAY. Grrr people like this peeve me.

I explain to every family to treat a check like cash. The check better be good whether I deposit it on the same day they give it to me or a week later. I get paid on Mondays at drop off the latest but don't usually get to deposit until Saturday morning and I had one DCM give me a check from her child's father and then ask me "You're depositing the check on Saturday right?" I immediately got suspicious "Why?" "Well he told me that if you deposit it before Friday it will bounce but on Saturday it will be fine. You always deposit Saturdays anyway right?"

Grrr. I immediately handed it back. "No I don't always deposit it Saturdays and in fact I need payment today because I have to pay the mortgage" (lies).

She had to leave to scrounge up the cash and come back. All the while she was telling me that her child's father was a little irritated because I didn't deposit the checks right away (I have been known to get paid one Monday, hold on to the check, Get paid again on a 2nd Monday and deposit all of the checks at once) and that it made things confusing for him because he would think he had money then all of a sudden almost all of his funds would be wiped out and he would only have $100 or so. EXCUSE ME? I explained that it was not my responsibility to balance his funds and that he should know how much he has in the bank when he writes a check and how much he has left.

At least in this case the family was made to pay cash afterwards. I'm the same way. One bad check and you forever pay in cash.

**Crystal** · 07-09-2010, 08:25 AM

Yeah, MarinaVanessa, I agree, her day to pay is Wed. not thurs. or fri. That's wy I said I would be okay with it IF it was the first time it happened.

**MarinaVanessa** · 07-09-2010, 08:28 AM

Originally posted by Crystal View Post

Yeah, MarinaVanessa, I agree, her day to pay is Wed. not thurs. or fri. That's wy I said I would be okay with it IF it was the first time it happened.

yeah I know it sounded like I was angry with you when I re-read it after posting so I went back to change it and delete your quote. It sounded like I was attacking you ...

sorry. What I was trying to say was that people that give checks that know they can't be cashed right away or that don't keep track of their finances annoy me. Again, sorry

**Crystal** · 07-09-2010, 08:52 AM

Originally posted by MarinaVanessa View Post

yeah I know it sounded like I was angry with you when I re-read it after posting so I went back to change it and delete your quote. It sounded like I was attacking you ...

sorry. What I was trying to say was that people that give checks that know they can't be cashed right away or that don't keep track of their finances annoy me. Again, sorry

haha! no worries, I didn't think you sounded like you were attacking me, and after re-reading my post I can see how you would think I did.

! sorry.....

**momma2girls** · 07-10-2010, 01:08 PM

Originally posted by krogers1982 View Post

Ugh...

I was firm and spoke to parent Thursday, (she pays Wednesday) that her check was not deposit-able. The teller told me to try the next day. When I spoke with her she made little eye contact and said "well @#$% check will be in the bank Friday, thats tomorrow I know money will be there then. I was shocked. I am already rearranging the way I accept money from this parent in that she pays me biweekly!

So my husband tried yesterday to put money in big surprise No Money in the account! Ok so I had to message the mom to to call me after she got off and I got off.

She called I told her, she said well I know I have money in there! I told her politely but firmly that she could bring me the cash tonight or she would be paying me an extra $35.00 NSF fee. It's in her contract and I was more than fair not calling her the day before but trying to redeposit the check. She said the bank wouldn't allow her to pull cash out she didn't know why... again Ugh...

Well she called had found money/borrowed money from a relative to avoid the fee. My husband told her that I was interviewing a family. She came right in the middle of me interviewing a family..... RRR I politely asked her to wait in the family room until I was done. It was a mess I got paid but she felt like I was attacking her. She felt i was being rude having her go downstairs. I don't know how I could have handled this any differently...

OY!

I had a family that bounced a check, and I called I bet 15 times and left messages on both phones, and no answer, they knew why I was calling- finally after I told them, they would be responsible for any of my checks that bounced(per contract) they called back right away and brought me cash. Ha!! This is something good to place in a contract along with the late fees if not paid in full!!!

**momma2girls** · 07-10-2010, 01:10 PM

Originally posted by tymaboy View Post

I think if it had been me. I would have just said thank you & I will talk to her later when she dropped off the money. I would not have had her wait since you were busy with another family at the time. My policy is they get charged $20 if they give me a bad check plus any additional fee from the bank. Then cash only after that. So she would have owed me $20 & have to pay cash from now on.

I increased my nonsufficient check rate from $25.00 to $30.00 each check. I had one bounce a check a yr. ago and it cost $28.00 with tax!!!

**professionalmom** · 07-10-2010, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by MarinaVanessa View Post

I explained that it was not my responsibility to balance his funds and that he should know how much he has in the bank when he writes a check and how much he has left.

I have been known to go into my bank and sit down with the banker to discuss why they show a different amount than me. If they show more money and I can't figure out why, I don't consider it "mine" until I know for sure. But I guess some people don't question it and just spend whatever the bank says they have, even if there are outstanding checks. UGH!! Maybe we should teach responsibility 101 in high school now. It would come in more handy in real life than some of the other courses offered.

**Chickenhauler** · 07-11-2010, 03:06 AM

Originally posted by professionalmom View Post

I have been known to go into my bank and sit down with the banker to discuss why they show a different amount than me. If they show more money and I can't figure out why, I don't consider it "mine" until I know for sure. But I guess some people don't question it and just spend whatever the bank says they have, even if there are outstanding checks. UGH!! Maybe we should teach responsibility 101 in high school now. It would come in more handy in real life than some of the other courses offered.

My senior year, I needed an extra math credit, so I took "Basic Math For Basic Living" and it taught things like balancing a checkbook, figuring how much you're really paying on a car loan, making a budget, keeping an expense record, the frightening facts about a mortgage (how much you're really paying in the end) and things like this.

It's amazing that this was a "make a credit" class instead of a required course!

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