Model of letter informing the bank that you have regularized a cheque issued without funds
Please note that becoming overdrawn or exceeding an overdraft limit without prior agreement is a serious matter in France. It is extremely unwise to issue a cheque without funds in your account (cheque sans provision). Such a cheque will be returned to the payee who will ask for some other means of payment. If he is not paid within a period of 30 days, he is entitled to obtain a certificate of no-payment (“certificat de non paiement”) from the bank which will allow him to contact a bailiff in order to have the money deducted from the issuer’s salary, or arrange for his/her goods to be seized and sold. The costs of this procedure are added to the amount owed to the payee.
Those who have issued such cheques will find that their account will be frozen until they have put sufficient funds in the account and the payee has re-presented the cheque. They will also have to pay to pay additional substantial bank charges per cheque wrongly issued, plus fines if they have bounced more than three cheques within a period of (twelve) 12-month period. Furthermore, they will not be able to open or operate any other bank account in this period as they will be listed in the Banque de France.
Therefore, if you have issued a chèque sans provision, you are advised to inform your bank that you have regularized such a cheque. You will find herewith a model of letter in this regard.
