What will happened on the bank reconciliation if a check was destroyed?

Answer 1

If the check was paid-out it needs to be subtracted from the balance in the normal fashion and the individual owning the account can make a note that the original check was destroyed. In this case, the bank should have a record that the check was paid should some proof be needed later. If the check never reached the bank on which it is written, and so was not paid out by the bank, the owner of the bank account can make a note of a "voided" or lost check number in the reconciliation record, and ignore the subtraction of the amount from the balance. I'd recommend PROOF that the check was destroyed before doing this, however. Should it later "show-up" and go through the account, the bank will honor it and pay out the amount and this could cause trouble if the payer (person who wrote the check) doesn't expect it. If the account owner wants to "void" the check in the register, he or she should KNOW the check won't be presented OR put a "stop payment" order on the check with his or her bank. To do this, the payer needs to contact his or her bank on which the check was written and inquire about how to put a stop payment order on that particular check. To do it you will need to know when the check was written, the amount and to whom. (It's always a good practice to keep these records when writing a check.) The stop order may cost a fee - but the minimal fee of stopping payment for a check can be worth it to know the check won't be presented later unexpectedly, especially if the payee (person or business to whom you wrote the check) wants a new check to be issued or if the lost or destroyed check is for a large amount.