On Thursday, community relations representative David Rice visited members of the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce to discuss the Bad Check Restitution Program initiated by District Attorney David Gorman to benefit the citizens of Blair County.
Rice explained during his presentation that bad checks passed to local businesses cost both the merchants in money lost and the consumers because of costs being raised to offset the losses. Tax money is also used to cover additional costs for law enforcement and prosecution.
In a pamphlet about the bad check program, Gorman stated, “In an effort to combat this problem, the Bad Check Restitution Program has been organized to assist local merchants with bad check losses.
“The primary goal of the program is to obtain full restitution for the victim without adding to the financial burden of the criminal justice system.
“First time bad check offenders are given the opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution by attending a mandatory, eight hour intervention class, in addition to paying restitution. All of this is accomplished without any cost to the taxpayers.”
According to Rice, the offender must pay $125 for the mandatory class. He also said the class contains several components, and the program is 95 percent successful.
During the class, offenders go over how to keep and balance a checkbook and also go over behavior modification in terms of what the promise of a check means, among numerous other subjects.
“It has a number of benefits,” said Rice of the program. “We think it helps people lead better lives.”
He said it also helps the community, costs the county nothing and frees up the courts from dealing with these types of cases.
The program runs with three steps for merchants.
First, a merchant who receives a bad check needs to make personal contact with the check writer by sending a ‘courtesy notice’ via certified mail, allowing them 10 days to respond and remit payment.
If the check writer does not respond, the merchant needs to contact the Bad Check Restitution Program at 1-800-741-7897 for a bad check crime report form.
Merchants can also pick up a bad check crime report form at District Magistrate Fred Miller’s office.
Merchants need to fill out the crime report form, and attach the originals of all checks and notification documents such as return receipts and bank notices.
They should also make sure to photocopy the materials first for record.
The form then needs to be mailed to: Blair County, District Attorney, Bad Check Restitution Program, 106 Hollidaysburg Plaza, PMB 112, Duncansville, PA 16635.
For those with further questions, there are guidelines to determine if a check is eligible for the program or not.
A check is eligible if:
• the amount of the check is no more than $2,000, or multiple checks not exceeding this limit. There is no minimum dollar amount;
• the check was received in Blair County and deposited in a bank in exchange for goods or services presumed ‘good’ at the time of acceptance;
• a ‘courtesy notice’ is sent via certified mail to the check writer allowing 10 days to make the check good;
• the check is submitted to the program within 90 days from the date on the check; and
• a photo identification was recorded at the time of transaction.
A check is ineligible if:
• the check is post-dated;
• both parties knew there were insufficient funds at the time of transaction;
• the check is an out-of-state, two party, stop payment, rent, government or payroll check;
• the identity of the check writer is unknown;
• there is no amount, date, or signature on the check;
• the check has not been processed by the bank; and
• the check involves an ‘extension of credit’ or was payment on an account.
