If I deposited a signed check I found, how much trouble am I in?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I deposited a signed check I found, how much trouble am I in?
I deposited a signed check and then went to the owner of the check and told them what I did. I asked to return the money but they won’t take the money back. What kind of legal trouble am I in?
Asked on April 20, 2017 under Criminal Law, Georgia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You committed theft: you took money which *clearly* and obviously was not yours. Even if you later tried to return it, that does not change the fact that you took it in the first place: a crime is not "uncommitted" by undoing the damage or loss. Rather, regardless of what happens later, if a crime was committed--as it was here--a crime was committed. The other person could press charges against you. As to how severe the charges or any punishment could be: that depends on how large the check was. The severity of theft varies with the amount stolen.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.