 |
||
|
In the world of modern banking, most banks give
customers same-day or next-day availability for both local and non-local
check deposits. The vast
majority of these "provisional" credits are finalized by the ultimate
collection of the checks which gave rise to them.
The ability to write checks against such provisional credits
gives a shrewd bank depositor free use of someone else's money.
Viewed most charitably, this would be deemed aggressive cash
management. However, it also
gives a dishonest customer the opportunity to write checks against
non-existent deposits. When
done systematically and fraudulently, prosecutors call this criminal
check kiting. The potential
losses that a bank may suffer from a check kiter can soar, literally
from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, in short order.
A very bad situation indeed.
To make matters worse, in common check kiting scenarios,
what often follows discovery of the check kite is the check kiter's
voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy, which leads inevitably to the discovery
by the debtor's trustee in bankruptcy that the involved banks have made
themselves partially or fully whole through application of good funds
deposits to the respective accounts of the debtor.
This situation gives rise to the "collision" between banking and
bankruptcy law.
Sections 547(b) and 550 of the Bankruptcy Code empower the
debtor's trustee to recover for the bankruptcy estate any pre-petition
transfer of an interest of the debtor in property (i) to or for the benefit
of a creditor; (ii) for or on account of an antecedent debt owed by the
debtor before the transfer was made; (iii) made while the debtor was
insolvent; (iv) made on or within 90 days of the filing of the petition, or
within 1 year thereof if the creditor is an "insider"; and (v) that enables
the creditor to receive more than the creditor would receive in a Chapter 7
liquidation under the Bankruptcy Code with the transfer not having been
made. Thus, as incongruous as it
may seem, the defrauding check kiter's trustee in bankruptcy will seek
recovery from the defrauded banks of all sums the banks were able to obtain
from good funds deposits made to the debtor's bank accounts during the
preference period.
Most of the courts that have faced this issue have ruled
in favor of the defrauded banks, where negative account balances were
reduced or eliminated by subsequent pre-petition good funds deposits,
applying either or both of the following two grounds.
No Antecedent Debt.
Quite a number of
courts hold that "provisional" credits granted while deposited checks are in
the collection process do not give rise to antecedent debt, even where the
banks allow funds to be withdrawn by the check kiter or pay presented items,
in either case creating "collected balance overdrafts" when the deposited
kited check is returned unpaid.
Bank's Security Interest.
All of the
court's recognize that Section 4-210 of the Uniform Commercial Code grants
to the depositary bank a fully perfected security interest in each deposited
item and the proceeds thereof.
Although some kited checks may never be collected, courts nevertheless read
this UCC section as if the depositary bank has a blanket lien on all
deposits made to the account, regardless of source, following deposit of the
kited check for which the depositary bank gave provisional credit, thus
enabling the depositary bank to reduce or eliminate a "collected balance
overdraft," even if antecedent debt is involved.
Despite this "good news," there are a number of check
kiting situations where even the courts following the foregoing rules hold
in favor of the trustee's preference claim.
Examples include a depositary bank using subsequent deposits to cure
(i) a "ledger balance overdraft" arising from permitted withdrawals, the
issuance of bank obligations, such as cashier's checks, or the payment of
items presented for collection (i.e., when the sum of all good funds on
deposit, plus deposited but uncollected items for which provisional credit
could be extended, is still less than the item or items whose payment is
sought by the depositor); (ii) "collected balance" or "ledger balance"
overdrafts created by kited checks drawn on the depositary bank (so-called
"on-us" items), even if deposited at a remote branch office; and (iii)
collected balance overdrafts not involving "routine advances" against
uncollected deposits.
Each check kiting situation is highly fact intensive and
requires extensive and exacting analysis by counsel familiar with the
intricacies of this intersection of banking and bankruptcy law.
Although we certainly hope this is a problem you never encounter,
should it arise, please contact Marty Ellis at the earliest possible time.
Attorneys | Practice Groups | Seminars & Events Headlines | Publications | Careers | Contact SW ©MMIX Shumaker Williams P.C. |