Personal cheques in dollars

Not sure if this has been posted previously.  A quick search didn't come up with anything, but I'm sure this must've happened to others on this board. 

Our wedding is next weekend, and some gifts have already been coming-in, mostly in the form of personal cheques in US dollars, which are made payable to "Mr. & Mrs. Stuart <Married Surname>" or "Jeannie and Stuart <Married Surname>."

I already called my bank in the US.  I can't change my name from maiden to married on my account by mail.  I was thinking I could just submit a copy of my marriage certificate along with a new signature card.  Nope.  And then it would be easy to get Stuart added from there.  Or would it?  He doesn't have a Social Security Number, or a US address.  (I've been using my parents' address.)

Any ideas on how to cash or deposit all of these cheques?  I need to be able to do it fairly quickly, because I don't want to hold-up everyone from being able to balance their chequebooks for the next several months (until he and I both make it back to the US together).

Could you write "payable to" say one of your parents and have them deposit the checks in their account? Then once all have cleared they could write you a check for the total amount in your maiden name and deposit it for you at your bank?

How about endorsing it?

Should have said that they will probably need to mail you the check so you could sign it and put your acct number on it....then mail it back to them to be deposited. Actually once you know the total of all of the checks, you can let them know and they can send you a check for endorsement...then once everything has cleared they can deposit it for you. That will cut down the time of posting back and forth and finally getting the money into your acct.

And make sure you send the cheques via Fed Ex or something like that. You wouldn't want to send endorsed cheques through the post for fear of getting them nicked.

I get a govt check each month which I have to mail back to my US bank each month. I just endorse it "for deposit only" and send it off. Never had a problem yet in five years.

I think your bank may be able to send you a signature card so you can change to your married name. I did mine over the phone and they just mailed me the signature card.

Also I wanted to add ... my sons are always getting US checks in the mail. I sign their name and put (son) after it and post it to my account.

Thanks guys for all of the input.  I already know that my bank does not deal with third party, endorsed cheques at all; they do not deposit them, nor do they cash them.  The name on my account is "Jeannie <Maiden Surname>" and the cheques are "Jeannie and Stuart <Married Surname>," so I guess these would be considered third party cheques.  So I know I can't do anything with my bank.  I'll see if my Mom's bank will honour third party, endorsed cheques.  That's a good idea.  I'll keep my fingers crossed for that.
And they won't let me change the name on my account by mail.  They refused to mail me a signature card.  They said the only way I could change my name would be to go in person to my branch, present them with a certified marriage certificate, and sign a new signature card in front of them.
Wow, my bank sucks!

Have you asked your bank here if you can deposit them into your UK account? I thought that was possible but I may be wrong.

You could open a dollar account in your UK bank in your married name.

Victoria

No. Stuz. That is not a third party check. A third party check would be like if I sent you a check for your birthday and you signed it over to someone for them to use as cash or whatever. That would be third party.

Since your bank won't let you change you name by mail, I don't know if they will let you do this by mail.  My bank in the US would have let me add DH to my account before he had a SSN with a foreign address.  It might be worth looking into. 

And they won't let me change the name on my account by mail.  They refused to mail me a signature card.  They said the only way I could change my name would be to go in person to my branch, present them with a certified marriage certificate, and sign a new signature card in front of them.
Wow, my ba

Yeah, mine wouldn't either. I had to have my SS card with my married name as well as the marriage certificate and it had to be done in person. We didn't have the time to get all that so I've still got the account in my maiden name. My family just knows to send cheques to my name and my mom and dad put the cheques in for me. The only problem is my bank card. I have no access to it. It expired and when you get the new one, you have to activate it from the phone number on your account. Wells Fargo, they're tight on security.

So basically we have no access to the money but we're alright with it because it's just sitting there accruing interest.

Banks can deposit checks without sigantures. Ours does it every month for a check my DD receives. THere is a special stamp they can use for this. Admittedly, some don't like to use it, but our bank has been really understanding and does this not only for the stuff that they get in the mail each month, but also any odd checks my MIL or friend take to deposit in our account.

Can you ask about that as an option?

As far as the name/endorsement thing, back when I was a teller at a credit union we would have told you to do this (even if the account was still in your old name):

Endorse as made out with new name
Have DH sign if it is a joint check
sign your new married name
sign with your name prior to marriage (name on the account)

covers all bases

Would they accept that?

It really would be *very* easy to open a dollar account in your UK bank in your married name......



Victoria

Five years ago, one week before the wedding, we had my husband added to US bank acct.  They required his NIN number, that was all.

I do realize things have changed since then, we had no problems with a marriage certificate, while I've heard others had to do "extra' things like get them notarized or provide extra ID.