did a bad check ruin everything?

[maas]

'm a 32 year old Marine vet that has been accepted into Chamberlain College of nursing....until the background check revealed a bad check from 5 years ago. I was in between back to back deployments to Iraq and was unaware that I had even bounced a check until today. The school has told me that they are unable to move forward with my registration. I'm obviously freaking out and need a little advice. I plan on taking steps to resolve this issue first thing in the morning, but I'm worried that this one check for probably less than 20 dollars will ruin everything that I've worked for the last two years. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

God that sucks. A quick google found the following http://www.veteransbenefitgroup.com/resources.php. You should access whatever groups exists that might help you. This one appears like it might offer legal help http://www.vetadvocates.com/, I would just get it done, jump through the hoops and move on. Good luck and thanks for serving.

[Orange Tree]

My background check actually reveled that there was a warrant out for my arrest! I had noooo idea! I had gone to court to pay a minor traffic ticket (had insurance, but didn't have the card with me when stopped), and no record of the ticket had been found.....so they sent me off with a "Lucky you!" remark and a letter.

I was terrified for the same reasons you are, but I was given a chance to rectify the situation and proceed with registration. The school had no idea that the whole thing was an accident and that the charges would be dismissed, but they were willing to allow me to fix it despite that.

I think there's hope for you. You didn't kill anyone, after all. Hopefully the charges involved with getting this check cleaned up will be manageable.

[Trubie, LPN]

Seriously?!?! A bad check!?! Wow! In my younger days (when I was under paid and loved to spend money), I bounced several checks and none of them have come back to haunt me.... except perhaps by lowering my credit score and of course those nasty overdraft fees.

I am really sorry... try looking at other schools, there are certainly other options out there!

[TDCHIM]

Okay, I've never bounced a check but I did have one major problem with a bank that took a year to resolve (in my favor, because the bank royally messed up). Here's some basic advice:

1. Start with the collection agency or law firm, but don't just automatically accept their version of events, especially if it's a check for a sizable amount. The collection agency and/or law firm usually has squat when it comes to background information on the event. They're just there to push for the money. Get as much information as you can: what bank or credit union the check is drawn on, the amount, processing dates, number of times it the bank attempted to run the check through your account (usually banks will stop at two times before they give up), totals in fees, etc. from the collection agency, then inform them you need to research the incident in order to determine whether you need to dispute it. By law, the agency has to give you time to dispute the check, so don't let yourself be flustered into anything if you don't think this sounds right. If you quickly realize they're right or that the amount is so low it isn't worth the hassle of fighting it, you can always call the company back and pay off the item.

2. If what you're hearing from the collection agency sounds at all off to you or you can't get enough information out of the collection people to figure out what's going on, contact the actual bank or credit union involved. Even though it's an old check, any bank would still be required to have information about the account and the check involved at this point, given that the check in question is only 5 years old. You'll get much more information from the bank's research people than you will through any collection agency. If things still seems fishy after you hear the initial explanation from the bank's research people, request copies of everything and go over it with a fine-tooth comb. Be aware that there are fees for copies and research time.

3. Even if you decide to pay off the debt rather than disputing it, be sure you find out from the bank or credit union what company they used after you pay the debt or otherwise resolve the situation (i.e., through successfully disputing the matter). Most major banks use a company called ChexSystems, but there are others out there too. Make certain the bank notifies whatever returned-check company it uses that this incident has been cleared up. You can order a copy of your history from the ChexSystems website for a very nominal fee in order to verify whether the bank has actually done what it says it has. ChexSystems could be how Chamberlain found out about your bad check in the first place. Other banks and merchants will definitely be notified through ChexSystems. Here's a link to the ChexSystems site for consumers: https://www.consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/index.htm

4. If you haven't already run a credit check on yourself through each of the three major credit agencies, do it now. You're entitled to a free one every year from each company (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). Here's a site with links too all three agencies: http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnwin0203/three.html.

Finally: No matter what, take careful notes on every conversation and maintain extensive records! Make sure you ask for and record names and extension numbers for each person you speak to, along with the date and time of every single conversation or call placed. Keep the notes for at least three years after the situation is resolved. When you either pay for the check or successfully dispute the item, get a letter on the bank's letterhead specifying how and when the situation was settled. Keep the discharge letter for at least five years. It's a pain, but it's worth it in case anyone ever tries to collect again on the same item, which has been known to happen.

[caliotter3]

Consult with an attorney for help in resolving this. My worry would be that your efforts to try to resolve it get twisted around. An attorney sending the payment would help to see that it is correctly credited to your account and the account is correctly cleared. Then worry about dealing with Chamberlain. And if Chamberlain is a no go, then look elsewhere. Good luck.

[gixergirl]

FYI: Usually with a basic background check the info provided is very basic. It will list the offense, the outcome and the date. When you are applying to any state for clearance or a license ANY CONVICTION will "pop" on your background. If you didn't know about the check, you didn't rectify it or go to court, so a conviction was probably entered against you (guilty by default for not showing up). DO NOT PANIC!!! Usually the state is only interested in drug crimes, domestic violence, crimes against children or the elderly, and medicare/ medicaid fraud. Most other things will still "pop" but they just need a statement resubmitted to the state explaining the situation. If you can say "I didn't know, I've cleared it up, here is the proof".... everything will be fine. I've seen CNA's, childcare workers and police officers get cleared with charges like shoplifting >$5000, battery, and even misdemeanor drug possession. There's a form you will be provided to make your statement and I'm sure if it's just a bad check to the China Garden Buffet you will be fine!! RELAX!!! It will work out!

[Emergency RN]

You didn't break the law; you bounced a check. If you had the intent to defraud by writing a check that you already knew was worthless in the first place, THEN you would have broken the law. Insofar as I can tell, you're a victim of your own sloppy accounting; certainly not law breaking. Having an account fall into collection is not the same as a criminal conviction. But, sometimes these things can take a while to clear up. I suggest you find a cheap lawyer and get them to write a letter to the collections firm. Sometimes, a legal letter may move things more quickly than trying to resolve the issue yourself

And glad you made it back safely, and good luck!

[ZippyGBR, BSN, RN]

once again 'the land of the the free' demonstrates it's ridiculous obsession with the minutiae of process...

and why on earth is a in depth credit check part of the 'background' checks ... it's not as if it;s LE or the Security Services where bribery risk is a significant factor.

[maas]

Still haven't been able to talk to the school, but it seems that this will be a relatively easy/expensive fix. The company that did the background check told me that I received an alert because of the unserved warrant for a simple bad check. I have to hire a lawyer in North Carolina to handle it and once the matter is resolved the alert will be removed. After an hour of searching my estatements from the bank I had at the time I couldn't find a record of the check that "allegedly" lol bounced. The case number that was provided to me on my report is for someone else, but that doesn't mean I haven't bounced a check. I'm embarrassed that this is on my record, but the outlook doesn't seem as bad as it did last night. Thank you for all of your advice. I'll be doing a background check on myself first from now on before any future school or employer does one.

[maas]

and thank you for all of your posts

[maas]

All that I have to do is pay a lawyer to have the case dismissed. I offered to pay restitution to the company that the bad check was written to. Once that happens the court faxes a document to the background check company that the case was dismissed, they remove the alert and notify the school that I have no alerts posted on my background check and 2 years from now I'll have my BSN. I'm not out of the woods yet but it's good to know that there is a happy ending in sight. Hope this helps anyone with a similar situation

[sissykim]

I hope all works out for you. Bad checks are against the law, known or unknown. I work as a correctional nurse, the charges for bad checks are akin to financial fraud for the small ranking criminal. Why didn't the Marines catch the blep? Thanks for serving.