Each year, Montcalm County merchants suffer huge losses due to bad checks.
As you know, these losses can be devastating. Bad checks affect everyone and
result in higher consumer costs in addition to increased costs for law
enforcement and prosecution. Make no mistake: unlawfully passing a bad check
is a crime.
As your Prosecuting Attorney, I am committed to utilizing the resources of my office to reduce the harmful impact that bad checks have on our economy. My office is providing a Check Enforcement Program to assist merchants and individuals in fighting back against bad check writers.
This newly upgraded Program is designed to be more responsive for victims. Another goal is to increase the accountability of those who pass bad checks. This will be done without any undue administrative or financial burden on the criminal justice system. We employ a multi-faceted approach that includes: assistance in recovering money lost to bad checks, pursuit and prosecution of check offenders who refuse to make restitution, training programs and preventive check acceptance measures designed to reduce the number of bad checks and, finally, an educational course to help check offenders avoid writing and passing any future bad checks.
The Program requires bad check writers to pay full restitution and complete an education and intervention class regarding personal accountability and financial responsibility as citizens. Because bad check offenders pay the entire cost of the Program, there is NO COST to merchants and other victims and NO COST to Montcalm County taxpayers.
If bad checks are a concern to your business, I encourage you to participate in the Check Enforcement Program. To take advantage, you only need to register. There is no cost to you, and you will receive 100% restitution on any check we successfully recover - plus a service fee.
Please read through this website to learn how the Program can benefit you. It contains a registration form for you to complete. Print the form, fill in the form, detach it, and return it to my office. Registration takes only a moment. Within a few days of registering, we will send you a packet of information and materials that can reduce the number of bad checks you receive and help you obtain restitution on the bad checks that get through.
I invite you to try my Check Enforcement Program. I am confident that active participation in the Program will benefit your “bottom line.” Working together, we will provide a valuable service to all law-abiding residents of Montcalm County.