Senate Bill 2902

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 11-7-12, 97-19-57 AND 97-19-75, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE SERVICE FEE THAT MAY BE CHARGED ON A BAD CHECK BY A MERCHANT OR BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY; TO AMEND SECTION 97-19-81, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 11-7-12, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

11-7-12. (1) If a check, draft or order is made, drawn, issued, uttered or delivered in violation of Section 97-19-55, the payee, endorser or his assignee shall be entitled to collect, in addition to the face amount of the check, draft or order, a service charge of Fifty Dollars ($50.00).

(2) In any civil action founded on a check, draft or order made, drawn, issued, uttered or delivered in violation of Section 97-19-55, the plaintiff, if he be a payee or endorser, shall be entitled to recover, in addition to the face amount of the check, draft or order, damages in the following amount:

(a) If the amount of the check, draft or order is up to and including Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00), then the additional damages shall be Fifty Dollars ($50.00);

(b) If the amount of the check, draft or order is above Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) and up to and including Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), then the additional damages shall be fifty percent (50%) of the amount of the check, draft or order, not to exceed Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00), and not to be less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00);

(c) If the amount of the check, draft or order is above Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), then the additional damages shall be twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the check, draft or order; and

(d) No service charge shall be payable in a civil action under this section.

SECTION 2. Section 97-19-57, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-19-57. (1) As against the maker or drawer thereof, the making, drawing, issuing, uttering or delivering of a check, draft or order, payment of which is refused by the drawee, shall be prima facie evidence and create a presumption of intent to defraud and of knowledge of insufficient funds in, or on deposit with, such bank, corporation, firm or person, provided such maker or drawer shall not have paid the holder thereof the amount due thereon, together with a service charge of Fifty Dollars ($50.00), within fifteen (15) days after receiving notice that such check, draft or order has not been paid by the drawee.

(2) For purposes of Section 11-7-12, the form of the notice provided for in subsection (1) of this section shall be sent by regular mail and shall be substantially as follows: "This statutory notice is provided pursuant to Section 97-19-57, Mississippi Code of 1972. You are hereby notified that a check, draft or order numbered _____, apparently issued by you on _____ (date), drawn upon _____ (name of bank), and payable to _____, has been dishonored. Pursuant to Mississippi law, you have fifteen (15) days from receipt of this notice to tender payment of the full amount of such check, draft or order, plus a service charge of Fifty Dollars ($50.00), the total amount due being $_____. Failure to pay this amountin full within the time specified above shall be prima facie evidence of and create a presumption of both the intent to defraud and the knowledge of insufficient funds in, or on deposit with, such bank in violation of Section 97-19-55."

(3) For purposes of Section 97-19-67, the form of the notice provided for in subsection (1) of this section shall be sent by regular mail, supported by an affidavit of service by mailing, and shall be substantially as follows: "This statutory notice is provided pursuant to Section 97-19-57, Mississippi Code of 1972. You are hereby notified that a check, draft or order numbered _____, apparently issued by you on _____ (date), drawn upon _____ (name of bank), and payable to _____, has been dishonored. Pursuant to Mississippi law, you have fifteen (15) days from receipt of this notice to tender payment of the full amount of such check, draft or order, plus a service charge of Fifty Dollars ($50.00), the total amount due being $_____. Unless this amount is paid in full within the time specified above, the holder may assume that you delivered the instrument with intent to defraud and may turn over the dishonored instrument and all other available information relating to this incident to the proper authorities for criminal prosecution."

(4) If any notice isreturned undelivered to the sender after such notice was mailedto the address printed on the check, draft or order, or to the address given by the accused at the time of issuance of the instrument, such return shall be prima facie evidence of the maker's or drawer's intent to defraud.

(5) Affidavit of service by mail shall be adequate if made in substantially the following form:

"STATE OF ____________

COUNTY OF ____________

________________, being first duly sworn on oath, deposes and states that he/she is at least eighteen (18) years of age and that on (date)______________, 2___, he/she served the attached Notice of Dishonor by placing a true and correct copy thereof securely enclosed in an envelope addressed as follows:

______________________________

and deposited the same, postage prepaid, in the United States mail at ________________________, __________________________.

__________________________________

(signature)

Subscribed to and sworn before me, this the ________ day of _____________________, 2___.

_________________________________

(Notary Public)

My commission expires:

(SEAL)"

(6) Without in any way limiting the provisions of this section, this section shall apply to a draft for the payment of money given for a motor vehicle even if such payment is conditioned upon delivery of documents necessary for transfer of a valid title to the purchaser.

SECTION 3. Section 97-19-75, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-19-75. (1) The holder of any check, draft or order for the payment of money which has been made, drawn, issued, uttered or delivered in violation of Section 97-19-55, Mississippi Code of 1972, may, after complying with the provisions of Section 97-19-57, Mississippi Code of 1972, present a complaint to the district attorney. The complaint shall be accompanied by the original check, draft or order upon which the complaint is filed and the return receipt showing mailing of notice under Section 97-19-57, Mississippi Code of 1972. Not more than one (1) check, draft or order shall be included within a single complaint. Upon receipt of such complaint, the district attorney shall evaluate the complaint to determine whether or not the complaint is appropriate to be processed by the district attorney.

(2) If, after filing a complaint with the district attorney, the complainant wishes to withdraw the complaint for good cause, the complainant shall pay a fee of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) to the office of the district attorney for processing such complaint. Upon payment of the processing fee and withdrawal of the complaint, the district attorney shall return the original check, draft or order to the complainant.

(3) After approval of the complaint by the district attorney, a warrant may be issued by any judicial officer authorized by law to issue arrest warrants, and the warrant may be held by the district attorney. After issuance of a warrant or upon approval of a complaint by the district attorney, the district attorney shall issue a notice to the individual charged in the complaint, informing him that a warrant has been issued for his arrest or that a complaint has been received by the district attorney and that he may be eligible for deferred prosecution for a violation of Section 97-19-55, Mississippi Code of 1972, by voluntarily surrendering himself to the district attorney within ten (10) days, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excepted, from receipt of the notice. Such notice shall be sent by United States mail.

(4) If the accused voluntarily surrenders himself within the time period as provided by subsection (3) of this section, the accused shall be presented with the complaint and/or warrant and prosecution of the accused may be deferred upon payment by the accused of a service charge in the amount of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) to the district attorney and by execution of a restitution agreement as hereinafter provided.

(5) For the purposes of Sections 97-19-73 through 97-19-81, the term "restitution" shall mean and be defined as the face amount of any check, draft or order for the payment of money made, drawn, issued, uttered or delivered in violation of Section 97-19-55, Mississippi Code of 1972, plus a service charge payable to the complainant in the amount of Fifty Dollars ($50.00).

(6) After an accused has voluntarily surrendered himself and paid the service charge as provided by subsection (4) of this section, the district attorney may enter into a restitution agreement with the accused prescribing the terms by which the accused shall satisfy restitution to the district attorney on behalf of the complainant. The terms of such agreement shall be determined on a case-by-case basis by the district attorney, but the duration of any such agreement shall be no longer than a period of six (6) months. No interest shall be charged or collected on restitution monies. The restitution agreement shall be signed by the accused and approved by the district attorney before it is effective. If the accused does not honor each term of the restitution agreement signed by him, the accused may be proceeded against by prosecution under the provisions of Sections 97-19-55 through 97-19-69, Mississippi Code of 1972, and as provided by Section 97-19-79. If the accused makes restitution and pays all charges set out by statute or if the accused enters into a restitution agreement as set out above and honors all terms of such agreement, then if requested, the original check may be returned to the accused and a photocopy retained in the check file.

(7) If the holder of any check, draft or order for the payment of money presents to the district attorney satisfactory evidence that the original check, draft or order is unavailable and satisfactory evidence of the check, draft or order is presented in the form of bank records or a photographic copy of the instrument, whether from microfilm or otherwise, then the procedures provided for in this section may be followed in the absence of the original check, draft or order.

SECTION 4. Section 97-19-81, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-19-81. When an entity that is authorized by the laws of this state to make loans or grant extensions of credit is paid by check to retire all or a part of a loan or extension of credit, and such check is returned because of insufficient funds, and the lender is charged a fee or service charge as a result of such return, the lender shall be authorized to add the actual amount of such fee or service charge up to a maximum amount of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) to the principal of the unpaid balance of the loan or extension of credit.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.