Title 11, Chapter 3, Section 312
( 11-3-312)
Lost, destroyed, or stolen cashier's check, teller's check, or certified check. (a) In this Code section: (1) "Check" means a cashier's check, teller's check, or certified
check; (2) "Claimant" means a person who claims the right to receive the
amount of a cashier's check, teller's check, or certified check
that was lost, destroyed, or stolen; (3) "Declaration of loss" means a written statement, made under
penalty of perjury, to the effect that: (i) The declarer lost possession of a check; (ii) The declarer is the drawer or payee of the check, in the
case of a certified check, or the remitter or payee of the
check, in the case of a cashier's check or teller's check; (iii) The loss of possession was not the result of a transfer by
the declarer or a lawful seizure; and (iv) The declarer cannot reasonably obtain possession of the
check because the check was destroyed, its whereabouts cannot be
determined, or it is in the wrongful possession of an unknown
person or a person that cannot be found or is not amenable to
service of process; and (4) "Obligated bank" means the issuer of a cashier's check or
teller's check or the acceptor of a certified check. (b) A claimant may assert a claim to the amount of a check by a
communication to the obligated bank describing the check with
reasonable certainty and requesting payment of the amount of the
check, if the claimant is the drawer or payee of a certified check
or the remitter or payee of a cashier's check or teller's check, the
communication contains or is accompanied by a declaration of loss of
the claimant with respect to the check, the communication is
received at a time and in a manner affording the bank a reasonable
time to act on it before the check is paid, and the claimant
provides reasonable identification if requested by the obligated
bank. Delivery of a declaration of loss is a warranty of the truth
of the statements made in the declaration. If a claim is asserted in
compliance with this subsection, the following rules apply: (1) The claim becomes enforceable at the later of: (i) The time the claim is asserted; (ii) The ninetieth day following the date of the check in the
case of a cashier's check or teller's check; or (iii) The ninetieth day following the date of the acceptance in
the case of a certified check; (2) Until the claim becomes enforceable, it has no legal effect
and the obligated bank may pay the check or, in the case of a
teller's check, may permit the drawee to pay the check. Payment
to a person entitled to enforce the check discharges all liability
of the obligated bank with respect to the check; (3) If the claim becomes enforceable before the check is presented
for payment, the obligated bank is not obliged to pay the check;
and (4) When the claim becomes enforceable, the obligated bank becomes obliged to pay the amount of the check to the claimant if payment of the check has not been made to a person entitled to enforce the check. Subject to paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 11-4-302, payment to the claimant discharges all liability of the obligated bank with respect to the check. (c) If the obligated bank pays the amount of a check to a claimant
under paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this Code section and the
check is presented for payment by a person having rights of a holder
in due course, the claimant is obliged to (i) refund the payment to
the obligated bank if the check is paid; or (ii) pay the amount of
the check to the person having rights of a holder in due course if
the check is dishonored. (d) If a claimant has the right to assert a claim under subsection (b) of this Code section and is also a person entitled to enforce a cashier's check, teller's check, or certified check which is lost, destroyed, or stolen, the claimant may assert rights with respect to the check either under this Code section or Code Section 11-3-309. |