More on the checks - originally posted 3/22/10

Over the weekend, I got a collection agency letter addressed to my mom for a check written on her closed account to Finish Line for $130. This check was written on March 1, 2010, so it sounds like it will eliminate the cousin from suspicion since the date I have heard for when he was allowed into my mom's house was March 7, 2010 - nearly a week later. So I called them this morning & they want me to fax them a copy of the death certificate & they say that will end it for them. Still not sure if I should call Finish Line though.

Then I called the bank. The woman there that I am dealing with had not heard about this check yet. And I had already done what she was going to suggest I do for it. But in talking with her she did some checking & it looks like at the most, we are talking a maximum of 125 checks possible, if they don't order more checks for the account from somewhere (can you do that?). Looks like 6100 should be the last check in the book and we are looking currently at 6072, 6079, 6080, 6083 & 6088. May be others in there that we haven't heard about yet or that she wasn't looking at.

It sounds like the majority have been passed at a local grocery chain - maybe for cash, with various ID's being written on them (don't usually have to show an ID to write a check for items since the system keeps it for a while) and notations in the memo of "sister", "daughter" or "granddaughter". Well, her only sister passed away in October 1984. There are only 2 daughters & I know I haven't & while I wouldn't put it past my sister to lie if needed, I don't think she would lie to me on this - she & my brothers are all saying they know it isn't them or their kids. I know it isn't my daughters. But I don't know that I trust it isn't my sister's oldest daughter & her s/o involved in it. I just keep coming back to the fact that my gut seems to be telling me that if they weren't actively involved, they at the very least allowed someone into the house that did it & I am not convinced that they didn't participate at all.

So I have now called Finish Line's local store to tell them the checks are stolen, in case they hadn't gotten that message yet. I have also called Dillon's main offices to let them know - left a message for Security there (loss prevention) and will see if they call me back. Hopefully shortly after work today I have the final 2 signatures that I need notarized for me to handle everything & then we can go from there.

I'll try to get a post up in a bit about my socks I am knitting.

Original comments:

2 comments:

1. 
   Mamma has spokenMarch 22, 2010 6:34 PM

   Yep you can get checks on any account. All you need is a VOID check and money.

   
   
2. 
   Cindy/KSMarch 22, 2010 7:21 PM

   That's kind of what I am afraid of. If someone is intelligent enough to get more checks, then this could go on forever, except that "theft of checks" would no longer be a part of it.
   
   I had notice on 3 of the checks from the grocery store today - all 3 were done on 3/8/10 and 2 were for $50 each, the other for $60. So far I know of $390 in checks, as well as the attempted passing of 2 checks. There are 2 checks to the grocery store that I don't have totals or check #'s on.

Update on checks - originally posted 3/17/10

I have talked to the bank this morning, they said 2 more checks are expected in by them today. She told me that they don't file the report with the police (unlike what the detective told me yesterday), instead we/I had to file a report for the theft of the checks. Then I was given a case # to give to the bank, which they then share with the police the info they have. I am also to get a notarized form giving me authority by all 4 siblings to handle all things period & once I get that, I give the bank a copy & they will then share the checks & such with me.

Don't know if it's true, but at least 2 of my siblings seem to be thinking it might have originally started when a cousin on my step-dad's side of the family was allowed into the house to get his things. He had lived on & off with my mother over the years. I am not going to accuse anyone, except to say that if it had not been for L & G refusing to allow the siblings into the house so that we could have taken possession of these things, this wouldn't have happened to begin with!

I have let my sister know that I need all remaining checks in my possession so that I can go through them to see which ones are unaccounted for & then I have to make a report on each individual missing check! Then I will shred the remaining ones myself to be sure it is done.

The 4 of us are going to notarize 2 forms - 1 addressed to the postmaster to release the mail to me & the other to give me generic authority to handle anything like this - this I can then give a copy of to the bank, to the police if necessary, etc.

Things are getting interesting! - originally posted 3/16/10

Well, there has been some interesting events turning up in the last couple of days! It appears that in the last week or so, there have been several checks either being passed or attempted to be passed on the bank account that my 3 siblings & I closed of our mother's back in late December.

I got a text message yesterday afternoon from my sister telling me that 1 had been passed on March 8th for $150. So asked her a few questions about it all & didn't get much more until today. Decided to call the police department & see if anyone would give me any info. Got a call back late this afternoon from a Detective saying that evidently whoever is doing this attempted to pass one at a local convenience store yesterday - a woman. Today there was a man trying to use one at a local auto parts store. There appear to have been at least 3 last week. I don't know if the information I got about the $150 one was accurate or not - story goes that it was used to pay for 2 wallets & 2 purses. But the detective didn't mention that one today. He did say that he is waiting on some video to see if he can match up that with known names. He also gave me 2 names that he suspects could be involved since during the convenience store attempt a license plate # was gotten & it matches the man that he mentioned.

Now the question to me is how were these checks gotten? The check # that I have heard is about 105 #'s past the last one that I have record of from her account. Now there could have been a few more that went in after the statement was printed since the statement I have was received 12/10/09 and I have been getting sporatic mail since the end of December when the niece put her 2¢ into it. It appears that my mother usually kept 2 books of checks in her purse & there were some family members seen with the purse the night of her death, but since most books of checks seem to hold about 25 checks - this seems to be a # quite a ways past what you would expect there. And since the niece & her s/o have tried to make sure no one but them is ever in the house or if they are in the house they are always supervising them - it would seem there hasn't been much chance for anyone to do anything without their knowledge. So it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

My youngest brother today called the local postmaster complaining about them not letting me have the mail & asking if there was anything else that they would consider allowing for us to get the mail restarted after the niece had it stopped. Said he mentioned that he lives out of town & that they had all asked me to handle things since I am the more stable one. So it seems now, even though I had asked about this previously, that since it has been more than a month & they are now returning mail to the senders, they will let the 4 of us sign a notarized statement that all mail is to come to me & then they will restart the mail. So Friday when I get off work, 3 of us will meet at our credit union to have that done & then my youngest brother will come down & have his signature notarized as well. So maybe by Saturday, this part will be finished! I sure hope so!