Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania

This is NOT a collection matter but a criminal matter. I have not seen the letter. Read it.

If you still don't understand it then go to a criminal law attorney. Any criminal law attorney in Northampton should be able to assist you. Contact your local bar association or look in the phone book - the attorney just has to handle criminal law. You can also get a public defender if you cannot afford an attorney as you will be able to get one if you otherwise qualify. However, if you follow the directions in the letter within the times specified, then you should not need an attorney.

Many counties have worthless check programs and Northhampton County is no different. Here is a link about the Northampton County Bad Check program: http://www.checkprogram.com/staticwebsites/northamptoncountypa

The district attorney does not want to prosecute these so a program has been devised where the DA sends a letter to the accused and asks them to pay the check and any penalties. These should be set forth in the letter. If no payment has been made by the due date, the district attorney can and will prosecute you.

Each check will be considered a separate offense. Here is the worthless check statute:

18 Pa.C.S.A. � 4105 - Bad checks

(a) Offense defined.--

(1) A person commits an offense if he issues or passes a check or similar sight order for the payment of money, knowing that it will not be honored by the drawee.

(2) A person commits an offense if he, knowing that it will not be honored by the drawee, issues or passes a check or similar sight order for the payment of money when the drawee is located within this Commonwealth. A violation of this paragraph shall occur without regard to whether the location of the issuance or passing of the check or similar sight order is within or outside of this Commonwealth. It shall be no defense to a violation of this section that some or all of the acts constituting the offense occurred outside of this Commonwealth.

(b) Presumptions.--For the purposes of this section as well as in any prosecution for theft committed by means of a bad check, the following shall apply:

(1) An issuer is presumed to know that the check or order (other than a post-dated check or order) would not be paid, if:

(i) payment was refused because the issuer had no such account with the drawee at the time the check or order was issued; or

(ii) payment was refused by the drawee for lack of funds, upon presentation within 30 days after issue, and the issuer failed to make good within ten days after receiving notice of that refusal.

Notice of refusal may be given to the issuer orally or in writing by any person. Proof that notice was sent by registered or certified mail, regardless of whether a receipt was requested or returned, to the address printed on the check or, if none, then to the issuer's last known address, shall raise a presumption that the notice was received.

(2) A check or order stamped "NSF" or "insufficient funds" shall raise a presumption that payment was refused by the drawee for lack of funds.

(3) A check or order stamped "account closed" or "no such account" or "counterfeit" shall raise a presumption that payment was refused by the drawee because the issuer had no such account with the drawee at the time the check or order was issued.

(c) Grading.--

(1) An offense under this section is:

(i) a summary offense if the check or order is less than $200;

(ii) a misdemeanor of the third degree if the check or order is $200 or more but less than $500;

(iii) a misdemeanor of the second degree if the check or order is $500 or more but less than $1,000;

(iv) a misdemeanor of the first degree if the check or order is $1,000 or more but is less than $75,000; or

(v) a felony of the third degree if the check or order is $75,000 or more.

(2) When the offense is a third or subsequent offense within a five-year period, regardless of the amount of the check or order and regardless of the grading of the prior offenses, an offense under this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree unless the amount of the check or order involved in the third or subsequent offense is $75,000 or more, then the offense is a felony of the third degree.

(d) Venue.--An offense under subsection (a) may be deemed to have been committed at either the place where the defendant issues or passes the bad check or similar sight order for the payment of money or the place where the financial institution upon which the bad check or similar sight order for the payment of money was drawn is located.

(e) Costs.--Upon conviction under this section the sentence shall include an order for the issuer or passer to reimburse the payee or such other party as the circumstances may indicate for:

(1) The face amount of the check.

(2) Interest at the legal rate on the face amount of the check from the date of dishonor by the drawee.

(3) A service charge if written notice of the service charge was conspicuously displayed on the payee's premises when the check was issued. The service charge shall not exceed $50 unless the payee is charged fees in excess of $50 by financial institutions as a result of such bad check or similar sight order for the payment of money. If the payee is charged fees in excess of $50, then the service charge shall not exceed the actual amount of the fees.