I quit my job. The payroll dept direct deposited a money into my account. A week later I received a paper check. A month goes by and the payroll dept calls me and says there was an error and the money that was deposited into my account was meant to be voided out. Now they want me to pay them for that money which I have already spent on bills. I dont see why I should pay for somebody else's screw up. Do i have to pay them??? What are my options?
2007-08-08 06:02:35 · 12 answers · asked by TheVan 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
i agree with dj b
2007-08-08 06:09:51 · answer #1 · answered by Brandon M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
TheVan - it wasn't your money.
Just so you know, this kind of situation happens all the time (I used to work in HR department).
Your old payroll department messed up - it was their mistake. There's really nothing they can do to you (they deposited the money and also sent you the check). Don't worry, the police are not going to show up at your door demanding the money.
If you don't just pay it back they will have to try to sue you and get it back. If they have to sue It will cost them more trying to get it back, so they probably don't want to have to go that route (if the amount is under $5,000). So they will just keep harassing you for the money and trying to make you feel afraid and guilty.
Be warned, they may try to run a fast one and have the bank re-credit the money to their account (but this is really illegal and then you could sue them). You may want to change your checking account.
Do not respond to their calls/letters unless you are being sued. Then get yourself a lawyer. My guess is they will harass you for a while then drop the matter.
I hope you had fun with the money!
2007-08-08 13:31:59 · answer #2 · answered by dragonsong 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chances are they have the 'law' on their side. The laws tend to favor companies and an error is not generally considered grounds to let you keep the money.
However, if you don't care about keeping good contact with the company you could just refuse, say you throught it was for back pay or severance, and see what happens. They might just write it off or they might be agressive about it (bring in lawyers, bill collectors, affect your credit rating, etc).
If I were you, I would find a lawyer and pay for their time to advise you. If you are broke, look for legal aid services in your area. Knowing for sure what your rights are is your best course of action.
2007-08-08 13:23:22 · answer #3 · answered by Wundt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the right thing to do would be to pay them back. Errors like that do happen sometimes. But at the same time, I probably wouldve spent it as well. Most likely on the same thing you did. I wouldnt feel too bad. Theyre probably a large company who can afford to loose a few hundred dollars. But you will have to worry about them taking you to court about it. So it really all boils down to this: Do you want to risk having to go to court over it, or just pay them back and avoid it?
2007-08-08 13:11:13 · answer #4 · answered by •°¤Lauren¤°• 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you didn't cash the check yet they can make a stop payment on the check and a bank will never take it. Secondly they can also do a void thru your bank if they really wanted to push for it. Best bet.. be nice and pay it back, maybe they remember that and still give you a good refernce since you did quit.
2007-08-08 13:11:55 · answer #5 · answered by latenighter 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree you probaly new there was and error and spent the check anyway. If you were still working there and they did this it would come out of your next check. I would just find a way to work it out with them. I think they can send you to small claims for that. Plus morally you knew that money wasn't yours.
2007-08-08 13:11:19 · answer #6 · answered by fine_ass_fatty21 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our newspaper has a legal column, and a scenario similar to this came up. The lawyer said the money should be returned to the company because the recepient knew he had been overpaid. In short, that's fraudulent.
2007-08-08 13:12:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You didn't earn it so you have no right to it. You aren't paying for someone else's screwup - you're paying back money that you owe, that you were given by mistake. If you don't, they can sue you for it, and they will win, and it will probably cost you more than just paying it back.
2007-08-08 13:10:42 · answer #8 · answered by Judy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree it was their fault,and my first answer would be screw em.but if the money wasn't owed to you I would return it.they could turn you into a collections agency or have an attorney come after you
2007-08-08 13:14:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all you knew it was a mistake, and you did nothing about it. Are you going to call yourself honest? If you spend that money, it's fraud. You best own up to your mistake and pay it back quickly.
2007-08-08 13:07:14 · answer #10 · answered by Alterfemego 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
make sure that the paper check wasn't for severance pay.
Sometimes you get extra money for each year you work.
They might be making a mistake by asking for it back.
Don't automatically assume that they are right.
2007-08-08 13:21:49 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋