Sunday, May 25, 2014

Know About Negotiable Instrument Act

Payment & settlement

NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS ACT –1881 

( Read Approved  Books  to know more correct

 information about the Act )

Ø  Implemented w.e.f. March 01, 1882
Ø  147 Sections with 17 Chapters  [ 138-142  added in 1988 w.e.f. 01.04.89 & 143 –147 added during Dec.2002]
Sec. 13 – Negotiable Instruments means and include – Promissory Note, Bills of Exchange & Cheque.
Negotiability: Transfer of the instrument to any person so as to constitute him holder.
Negotiation means:
01. Transfer without restriction
02. Transferee taking the instrument for value and in good faith, gets better and absolute title despite any defect in the title of transferor [ endorser]
Negotiation of Bearer cheque is completed by delivery [47] and that of order instrument is completed by delivery and endorsement [48]

Sec.4 – Defines Promissory Note

PN is an instrument in writing, containing an unconditional undertaking (or promise), signed by maker, to pay a certain sum of money, to or to the order of certain person or to the bearer of the instrument.
Ø  Parties : Maker and Payee
Ø  PN requires to be stamped.
Ø  2 types of PNs:  Demand Promissory Note and Usance Promissory Note.
Ø  PN can be drawn payable in installments also and a provision also can be made that on default of one installment entire amount mentioned in PN becomes payable.
Ø  Currency Notes being money, though fulfills conditions of PN are not promissory notes and governed by Indian Currency Act [Sec21]

Sec 5 – Bill of Exchange

A Bill of Exchange is an instrument in writing, containing an unconditional order, signed by maker, directing a certain person to pay, a certain sum of money only, to or to the order of certain person or to the bearer of the instrument.
Ø  Parties : Drawer, Drawee [ Acceptor ] and Payee
Ø  Where no period is mentioned on PN or BOE for payment, is payable on demand
Ø  Where the BOE is lost, the drawer is under obligation [Sec45A] to issue a duplicate bill.
Ø  An instrument can be made payable to two or more persons jointly or payable to one of two or one or some several payees.
Sec 6 – Cheque :
Cheque is a bill of exchange drawn on a specified bank and not expressed to be payable otherwise than on demand.
Parties to cheque  : Drawer [ account holder], drawee [ the bank where the account is maintained] an payee [person named in the cheque]

 

Electronic Cheque / Truncated Cheque

In terms of amendments to NI Act during Dec 2002, Cheque Means - the Cheque in Electronic form and Truncated cheque transacted during clearing process
Electronic Cheque : Electronic cheque is a cheque which contains the exact mirror image of a paper cheque and is generated, written and signed in a secured system ensuring the minimum safety standards with the use of digital signature (with or without biometrics signature and asymmetric crypto system)

 

Cheque Truncation

In Truncation the cheque is scanned and electronic image, instead of physical cheque is transmitted in clearing cycle. The cheque is truncated either by clearing house or by the bank. Immediately on generation of an electronic image for transmission, further physical movement of the cheque in physical form is substituted with such image.

Restrictions on Instruments being made payable to bearer
RBI Act 1934 – Section 31: states that no person other than RBI or Central Govt. can draw, accept, make or issue any bill of exchange or promissory note payable to bearer on demand. Section 31(2) puts a restriction on making a promissory note payable to bearer by a person other than RBI/Central Govt.

Cheques in Practice:

Ø  NI Act does not prescribe any specific form of a cheque.
Ø  Withdrawal slips used by customers are not regarded as cheques.
Ø  Withdrawals by customer by writing an application on a plain paper, would not be unlawful but banks do not permit due to inherent risks except under exceptional circumstances.
Ø  Cheques drawn in different inks, scripts and handwritings : Cheques should be paid, if otherwise in order and paying bank is in a position to read and understand the instructions of drawer
Date of cheque:
Cheques without date: Not payable. However holder can complete it.
Cheque bearing a date being holiday: Cheque can be paid.
Cheque bearing date in National Saka calendar [Hindu]: can be paid
Cheque bearing impossible date: e.g. cheque dated 31st Nov, 30th Feb can be paid on 30th Nov or 28/29th Feb. However cheque dated 26th Jan cannot be paid on 25th Jan.
Stale Cheque: The validity period of cheque is expired due to date mentioned on cheque i.e.3 months from the date.(WEF 01.04.2012)
Revalidation: After cheque becomes stale it can be revalidated any number of times.
Ante Dated Cheque: Cheque bearing date prior to actual date of signing the cheque or prior to opening of account is valid and can be paid till it becomes stale.
Postdated cheque: Cheque bears a date not fallen due till presentment. Such cheque becomes effective only from the date mentioned on cheque.
Payment of such cheque is not a payment in due course and additionally poses following risks:
·         Drawer can stop payment
·         Death / insolvency or lunacy of customer may happen
·         Garnishee Order may be served on account

Holder: [8]
The holder means any person who is entitled in his own name to the possession thereof. Legal right to possess is enough. A person who was entitled to receive payment of an instrument and the instrument has been lost, will continue to be treated as holder.

Holder in due course [9]

A holder in due course is a person (payee or endorsee or bearer) who must have the instrument in his possession
He must obtain possession of it for valuable and lawful consideration (and not as a gift) before its maturity (in case of bill)
He must obtain it in good faith without any sufficient reason to believe that any defect existed in the title of the person from whom he obtained it.
Holder in due course gets a better title than the transferor even when the transferor had defective title.

Payment of cheques and Payment in due course

U/s Sec 31 – statutory obligation to honour the customer’s cheques subject to conditions:
There are sufficient funds of the drawer available with the bank
These funds are meant for payment of such cheques
There is proper demand to make the payment

Payment in Due course: [10]
Payment would be considered in due course if:
Payment is in accordance with the apparent tenor of the instrument
Payment must be made in good faith and without negligence
Payment must be made to the person in possession of the instrument
Payment must be made under circumstances which do not afford a reasonable ground for believing that he is not entitled to receive payment of amount mentioned therein and Payment must be made in money only

Protection to Paying Bank 85[1] order cheque i.e. regularity in endorsement,  85[2]-bearer cheque 85 A DD, 89 – Cheque with material alteration not visible with naked eye, 128 – payment of crossed cheques.

Negotiation:
Negotiation means transferring an instrument from one person to another in such a manner to convey title and to constitute the transferee the holder thereof:
Bearer Instrument: Negotiation completes with delivery of instrument [47]
Order Instrument: The negotiation by endorsement and delivery would be required in case of NIs payable to order [48]
Importance of Delivery: 46 May be actual or constructive. Without the delivery the property will not be considered to have been transferred.
Delivery of instrument by legal heirs, endorsed by a deceased person considered negotiation is not complete [57]

Endorsement [15]

·         Endorsing means signing on the face or backside of an instrument [or even on a piece of paper called Allonge] for the purpose of negotiating an instrument.
·         Person who signs and transfers the instrument is called – endorser
·         Person in whose favour the endorsement is done is called – endorsee.
·         Holder of an instrument, payee of a cheque or promissory note and drawer of an accepted bill can endorse an NI
Types of Endorsements
Blank Endorsement: Endorser only signs without adding any words, directions. This makes the instrument payable to bearer as per Sec 54.
Endorsement in Full: Endorser signs his name and adds the name of endorsee specifically.

Restrictive Endorsement: Endorser adds along with sign such as Pay to A only

Conditional Endorsement An endorsement which stipulates certain condition. Pay to A when he marries.
Partial Endorsement: When endorser transfers part of amount mentioned in Negotiable instrument.
Sans Recourse Endorsement Signature of endorser with words pay to A without recourse to me.
Facultative Endorsement: Where endorser waives the condition of notice of dishonour.
Crossing of Cheque
·         Crossing is applicable in case of cheques only [ does not cover Bill of exchange and Promissory Note]
·         Crossing is either general crossing [123] or special crossing [124]

General Crossing: Two parallel transverse lines on the face with or without words, such as ‘& Co’, ‘not negotiable’, ‘payees account only’ etc. These words without lines will not constitute crossing. [Lines are important and not the words] These cheques are payable to a banker

Special Crossing: Cheque bears across its face, an addition of the name of the banker, either with or without the words not-negotiable. These cheques are payable to the specific banker whose name appears on the face of the cheque. [Name of the bank is important and not the words/lines]
Not Negotiable Crossing:[130] – A person taking a cheque crossed generally or specially bearing in either case the words ‘not negotiable’ shall not have and shall not be capable of giving a better title to the cheque than that of the person from whom he took it ‘had’. Such crossing does not restrict further transfers but the endorsees do not get better title than the endorsers.
Account payee crossing [direction to collecting bank] – NI act does not define it. It is result of custom, use and practice and legal decision.
Law does not prohibit but cheques with such crossings cannot be endorsed.

Presumptions with regard to Negotiable Instruments:[118]
Ø  NI was made, drawn, accepted, endorsed and negotiated or transferred for considerations
Ø  It bears the date on with it was made or drawn
Ø  It was accepted within a reasonable time after its date and before maturity
Ø  Every transfer of NI was made before maturity
Ø  Endorsements appearing on NI were made in the order in which they appear thereon
Ø  It was duly stamped and stamp duty cancelled, when NI stands lost
Ø  Holder is holder in due course.

 

Dishonour of cheques [138-142] wef 01.04.1989

Drawer of cheque, which is returned unpaid because of insufficiency of funds or stopping the payment of cheques, is deemed to have committed criminal offence under section138.

The pre-requisites for prosecution –
Ø  Cheque should have been issued to discharge of a liability. Cheque given a gift, will not fall in the framework.
Ø  Cheque should be presented timely i.e. within validity period of cheque
Ø  The payee or holder in due course should give notice demanding payment within 30 days of his receiving information of dishonour which should be for reason such as insufficiency of funds, refer to drawer, payment stopped.
Ø  The drawer can make payment within 15 days of receipt of notice and if he fails to do so, prosecution could take place.
Ø  The complaint can be made only by the payee or holder in due course.
Ø  The complaint should be made within one month of the cause of action
Ø  No court inferior to that of Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate of first class will try the office
Ø  An offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 year or with fine which extend to twice the amount of cheque or both.
Ø  In case of compounding of offence court can impose a fine up to Rs.5000 and imprisonment up to one year.

CALCULATION OF DUE DATE of BILL OF EXCHANGE

Ø  Is required for Usance Promissory Note and Usance bill of exchange
Ø  While calculating the due date 3 days of grace are required to be added
Ø  If drawer has either already mentioned the due date or due date is already calculated by the drawer then the grace period is not to be given
Ø  In case of usance promissory note on each installment three days of grace are to be added
Ø  In case of Commercial Paper and Certificate of Deposits even though they are usance P/N, days of grace not be given.
Ø  Principles for calculating the due date
Ø  Usance period is mentioned in complete months while calculating due date corresponding date of the respective month is to be taken and there after 3 days of grace to be added
Ø  If the concerned date is not available, then last date of the month is to be taken.
Ø  If the usance period is stated in days, then while calculating the due date, 1st day is to be excluded and last day to be included.
Ø  If the maturity date falls on public holiday/Sunday, the bill will become payable on next preceding business day. Public holidays are declared under Sec 25 of NI Act.

Material Alteration

Material alteration is an alteration of an negotiable instrument which brings basic change in the operation/characteristic of the instrument [ i.e. mandate] and liabilities of the parties thereof, whether the change be beneficial or detrimental.
Alterations would be taken as material when it relates to date, sum payable, time of payment, place of payment, rate of interest, addition of new party, tearing material part of NI, date of endorsement.
Alterations which are not material: such as crossing an uncrossed cheque, filling the date, converting a general crossing into a special crossing etc.

Only the drawer of a cheque can correct material alterations.
Protection: Payment of a material altered cheque is not considered a payment in due course and bank will have to make good the loss if any. Sec 89 protects a banker only if the material alteration is not apparent i.e. it is done in such a way that it cannot be detected with reasonable care, prudence and scrutiny.

NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS ACT -
Negotiable Instruments Act - Important Sections with contents title
4 – Promissory note definition
5 - BOE definition
6 – Cheque definition
7 – Drawer, drawee, acceptor defined
8 – Holder
9 – Holder in due course
10 – Payment in due-course
11 – Inland instruments
12 – Foreign instruments
13 – Negotiable instruments
14 – Negotiation defined
15 – Endorsement defined
16 – Endorsements in blank and full
17 – Ambiguous instruments
18 –Amount in words & figures if differ
19 – Instruments payable on demand
20 – Inchoate instruments
21 – Instruments payable at sight
24 – Calculation of maturity of bills/DPN
25 – Bill maturity on a holiday
26 – Capacity of the minor
31_ to honour cheques
36 – Every prior party to NI is liable thereon to a holder in due course until instrument is duly satisfied
47 – Bearer cheque
48 - Order cheque negotiation
49 – Conversion of blank endorsement in full
50 - Restricted endorsement
51 - All joint holders should sign for negotiation
52 - Sans recourse endorsement
53 – Holder of a NI derives title from a holder in due course has the right thereon of that holder in due course
56 - Partial endorsement
58 – Stolen cheque
60 - NI can be endorsed until its payment is made
65 – Hours of presentment
80 – Rate of interest
85(a) – Payment of order instrument
85(b) – Payment of bearer cheque
87 – Material alteration
89 – Protection to paying banker – obliterating of crossing and material alterations
99 – Noting
100 – Protesting
118 - Presumptions of NI
123 – Cheques crossed generally
124 – Cheques crossed specially
125 – Who can cross?
126 – Effect of crossing
128 - Protection to paying banker in case of crossed cheques
129 - Liability to true owner in case of crossed cheques
130 - Not negotiable crossing
131 – Protection to collecting banks
138 – Dishonour of a cheque for insufficiency of funds
139 – Presumption in favour of holder
140 – Defence not allowed in prosecution U/S 138
141 – Offence by company U/S 138
142-147: are sections related to summary trial.


CHEQUE TRUNCATION:
Truncation is the process of stopping the flow (movement) of the physical cheque. In this process, the physical instrument will be truncated at some point en-route to the drawee branch. Instead, an electronic image of the cheque, captured by the presenting bank, is sent to the drawee branch along with the relevant information like the MICR fields, date of presentation, presenting banks etc.

Uniqueness of the cheque: The image is transmitted to the drawee branch through the Clearing House with digital signatures and physical endorsement of the presenting bank. In addition, drawers could use holograms, barcoding or such other features, to add to the uniqueness of the images.

Implementation of Cheque truncation: To start with RBI proposes to implement the project on a pilot basis in the National Capital Region (NCR), New Delhi. Banks are to decide the point of truncation. RBI will install an interface with its system (Clearing House Interface - CHI) at the service branches of those banks, which are members of the New-Delhi Bankers Clearing House. The digitally signed images from presenting banks would flow to the interface (CHI) provided by RBI, from where the images would flow to the Clearing House and would reach the service branches of the drawee branches clearing house interface. The service branches have to ensure that these images move across their branches to ensure their processing.
Services by RBI : RBI's services include system development and installation at the clearing house, interfaces at the banks' end, network, handholding, awareness propagation and training.


Process flow in the Cheque Truncation System (CST):
(a) The presenting bank will capture the data & images of the cheques using their internal Capture System (which should meet the specifications and standards prescribed for data and images).
(b) The banks will send the captured images and data to the Central Clearing House for onward transmission to the payee/ drawee banks. For that purpose, RBI will be providing the banks software called the Clearing House Interface (CHI) that will enable them to connect and transmit data in a secure way and with non-repudiation to the Clearing House (CH).
(c) The Clearing House will process the data and arrive at the settlement figure for the banks and send the required data to payee/drawee banks for processing at their end.
(d) The drawee/payee banks will use the same CHI for receiving the data and images from the Clearing House. It will be the responsibility of the drawee bank Capture System to process the inward data and images and generate the return file for unpaid instruments.

Preservation of the paper cheques: The physical instruments are required to be stored for a statutory period. It would be obligatory for presenting bank to warehouse the physical instruments for that statutory period. In case a customer desires to get a paper instrument back, the instrument can be sourced from the presenting bank through the drawee bank.

Electronic Clearing Service (ECS)
ECS is a retail payment system that facilitates bulk payments, that facilitate payments from one-to-many and receipts that are from many-to-one. The two components of this system are ECS(credit) and ECS (Debit). This facility is now available at 78 major centers in the country.
ECS (Credit): It facilitates the bulk payments whereby the account of the institution remitting the payment is debited and the payments remitted to beneficiaries’ accounts.
This facility is mostly used for making bulk payments, like payment of dividend to investors, payment of salaries of employees by institutions etc. For this purpose, the company or entity making the payment has to have the bank account details of the individual beneficiaries.
ECS (Debit): It facilitates the collection of payments by utility companies. In this system the accounts of the customers of the utility company, in different banks are debited and the amounts are transferred to the account of the utility company. The company providing this facility has to receive the mandate to collect funds from its customer. On receipt of the mandate, the company advises the consumer’s bank to debit the payment due from the account on the due dates. A copy of the advice is also sent to the customer.
The clearing and settlement transactions through ECS occur at the respective centers. A centralized facility is available at RBI Mumbai to receive the ECS (credit) files meant for credit at other 15 RBI centers.
The volume of transactions processed through ECS clearing systems has been registering substantial growth during the last few years. The monthly average volume of transactions through ECS has increased manifold.
DEALING WITH FREQUENT DISHONOUR OF ECS (IC 8592  dt 18/03/2010)
ECS business has picked up very much, however on the other hand the practice if issuance of mandates by customers without maintaining adequate funds undermines the credibility of such mandates. This is regarded as unhealthy trend which is to be curbed.  As such RBI directs that where customer is using ECS facility that in the event of dishonor of ECS instructions, drawn on a particular account of the drawer on three occasions during the financial year for want of sufficient funds in the account, the presenting bank must delete this ECS instruction from the list.  The bank may also consider closing account at its discretion.
However in respect of advances accounts such as cash credit account, overdraft account, the need for continuance or otherwise of these credit facilities and the cheque facility relating to these accounts should be reviewed by appropriate authority higher than the sanctioning authority.
Banks henceforth while accepting the mandate for ECS issue a letter advising the above condition.
When ECS instruction is returned for second time on a particular account of the drawer during the financial year, bank will issue a cautionary adv ice to the concerned constituent drawing his attention to aforesaid condition and consequential closure of the account in the event of ECS instruction being dishonored on third occasion on the same account during the financial year.
Policy On Collection Of Cheques Or Instruments And Dishonour Of Cheques ( 9917 Dated 25.04.2014)
Local Cheques
*      Cheques deposited at branch counters and in collection boxes within the branch premises before the specified cut-off time will be presented for clearing on the same day.
*      Cheques deposited after the cut-off time and in collection boxes outside the branch premises including off-site ATMs will be presented in the next clearing cycle.
Speed Clearing
*      Speed Clearing refers to collection of outstation cheques through local clearing.
*      The facility is presently extended at 66 MICR CPC locations through Speed
Clearing System of RBI.
*      With Speed Clearing any outstation cheques/instruments drawn on CBS enabled branches of member banks are presented in local clearing at MICR centers and treated at par with local cheques.
 Cheques payable in Foreign Countries
*      Cheques payable at foreign centres where the bank has branch operations (or banking operations through a subsidiary etc.) will be collected through that office.
*      The services of correspondent banks will be utilised in country/centres
*      where the correspondent has presence.
*      Cheques drawn on foreign banks at centres where the bank or its correspondents do not have direct presence will be sent direct to the drawee bank with instructions to credit proceeds to the respective Nostro Account of the bank maintained with one of the correspondent banks.

 Immediate Credit of Local/Outstation Cheques/Instruments

*      Branches / extension counters of the bank will consider providing immediate credit for outstation cheques / instruments up to the aggregate value of Rs.15, OOO/- tendered for collection by individual account holders subject to satisfactory conduct of such accounts for a period of 6-12 months.
*      Immediate credit will be provided against such collection instruments at the specific request of the customer or as per prior arrangement. The facility of immediate credit would also be made available in respect of local cheques at centres where no formal clearing house exists.
*      The facility of immediate credit will be offered on Savings Bank / Current /Cash Credit Accounts of the customers. For extending this facility there will not be any separate stipulation of minimum balance in the account.
*      Under this policy, prepaid instruments like Demand Drafts, Interest/Dividend warrants shall be treated on par with cheques.
*      In the event of dishonor of cheque against which immediate credit was provided, interest shall be recoverable from the customer for the period the bank remained out of funds at the rate applicable for overdraft limits sanctioned for individual customers.
*      For the purpose of this Policy, a satisfactorily conducted account shall be the one;
ü  Opened at least six months earlier and complying with KYC norms.
ü  Conduct of which has been satisfactory and bank has not noticed any irregular dealings.
ü  Where no cheques / instruments drawn for which immediate credit was afforded returned unpaid for financial reasons.
ü  Where the bank has not experienced any difficulty in recovery of any  amount advanced in the past including cheques returned after giving immediate credit.
*      Bank shall levy normal collection charges and out of pocket expenses while
providing immediate credit against outstation instruments tendered for collection.
*      Exchange charges applicable for cheque purchase will not, however be charged.
*      The facility of immediate credit would not be applicable to cheques collected under speed clearing arrangements.

 Time Frame for Collection of Local/Outstation/Foreign Cheques/
Instruments
*      For local cheques presented in clearing credit will be afforded as on the date of settlement of funds in clearing and the account holder will be allowed to withdraw funds on T+1 or T+2 day as per return clearing norms in vogue at that centre.
*      For cheques and other instruments sent for collection to centers within the
country the following time norms shall be applied:
ü  Cheques/ instruments drawn on one of our branch deposited at another
center - Same day
ü  b) Cheques/instruments drawn on other bank and sent for collection to:
·         Centres where we have a branch - Maximum T+6 days
·         Centres where we do not have a branch - Maximum T+10 days

 Payment of Interest for delayed Collection of Local/ Outstation Cheques and Cheques Payable outside India
*      Such interest shall be paid without any demand from customers in all types of accounts.
*      There shall be no distinction between instruments drawn on the bank's own branches or on other banks for the purpose of payment of interest on delayed collection.
Interest for delayed collection shall be paid at the following rates:
a) Savings Bank Rate for the period of delay beyond T+2 days in collection of
local cheques.
b) Base Rate for the period of delay beyond T+6 days in collection of outstation
cheques sent to Bank's own branches at other centres.
c) In case of cheques sent to other bank branches for collection where delay is
beyond T+10 days interest will be paid at the rate applicable to term deposit
for the respective period or Savings Bank rate, whichever is higher.
d) In case of extraordinary delay, i.e. delays exceeding 90 days interest will be
paid at the rate of 2% above the corresponding interest rate mentioned
above.
e) In the event the proceeds of cheque under collection were to be credited to
an overdraft/loan account of the customer, interest will be paid at the rate
applicable to the loan account. For extraordinary delays, interest will be paid
at the rate of 2% above the rate applicable to the loan account.
f) In case of cheques drawn on foreign countries interest at the rate of savings
bank interest rate will be paid on the amount of cheque collected for any
delay from the value date of credit to the Nostro Account till the date of
actual credit to customer's account.

Cheques / Instruments lost in transit / in clearing process or at
paying bank's branch:


*      Bank shall immediately on coming to know of the loss, bring the same to the notice of the accountholder so that the accountholder can inform the drawer to record stop payment and also take care that cheques, if any, issued by him / her are not dishonoured due to non-credit of the amount of the lost cheques / instruments.
*      The bank would provide all assistance to the customer to obtain a duplicate instrument from the drawer of the cheque.
*      In line with the compensation policy of the bank the bank will compensate the Account holder in respect of instruments lost in transit in the following way:
a) In case intimation regarding loss of instrument is conveyed to the customer beyond the time limit stipulated for collection (T+2/T +5/T +10 days as the case may be) interest will be paid for the period exceeding the stipulated collection period at the rates specified above.
b) In addition, bank will pay interest on the amount of the cheque for a further period of 15 days at Savings Bank rate to provide likely further delay in obtaining duplicate cheque/instrument and collection thereof
 c) The bank would also compensate the customer for any reasonable charges he/she incurs in getting duplicate cheque/instrument upon production of receipt, in the event the instrument is to be obtained from a bank/institution who would charge a fee for issue of duplicate instrument.
 Force Majeure
The bank shall not be liable to compensate customers for delayed credit if some unforeseen event (including but not limited to) civil commotion,sabotage, lockout, strike or other labour disturbances, accident, fires, natural disasters or other "Acts of God", war, damage to the bank's facilities or of its correspondent bank(s), absence of the usual means of communication or all types of transportation etc. beyond the control of the bank prevents it from performing its obligations within the specified service delivery parameters.
 Charging of interest on cheques returned unpaid where instant credit
was given:
*      If a cheque sent for collection for which immediate credit was provided by the bank is returned unpaid, the value of the cheque will be immediately debited to the account. Interest where applicable would be charged on the notional overdrawn balances in the account had credit not been given initially.
*      If the proceeds of the cheque were credited to the Savings Bank Account and were not withdrawn, the amount so credited will not qualify for payment of interest when the cheque is returned unpaid.
*      If proceeds were credited to an overdraft/loan account, interest shall be recovered at the rate of 2% above the interest rate applicable to the overdraft/loan from the date of credit to the date of reversal of the entry if the cheque/ instrument was returned unpaid to the extent the bank was out of funds.
Procedure for return / dispatch of dishonoured cheques

*      In any case, the dishonoured instrument will be returned/ despatched to the customer promptly without delay not exceeding 24 hours of dishonour.
 Information on Dishonoured Cheques
*      Data in respect of each dishonoured cheque for amount of RS.l crore and above will be made part of Bank's MIS on constituents at Central Office.
*      Data in respect of cheques drawn in favour of stock exchanges and dishonoured will be taken separately irrespective of the value of such cheques as a part of Bank's MIS relating to broker entities at Central Office.
 Dealing with frequent dishonor of cheques:
In the event of dishonor of a cheque drawn on a particular account of the drawer on four occasions during the financial year for want of sufficient funds in the account, no fresh cheque book would be issued.

No comments:

Post a Comment