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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 4Ch. 2§ 4214 Bank Settlement Revocation Rules

§ 4214 Bank Settlement Revocation Rules

Commercial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 4214 Bank Settlement Revocation Rules

Key Takeaways

  • •If a bank gives you money for a check but later finds out the check is bad, they can take the money back from your account.
  • •The bank has to tell you or return the bad check by a certain time (usually by the end of the next business day), or they might have to pay for any problems caused by the delay.
  • •Even if you already spent the money from the bad check, the bank can still take it back.
  • •If the check was in a foreign currency, the bank will use the exchange rate from the day they found out the check was bad to figure out how much money to take back.

Example

You deposit a $100 check from your friend into your bank account. The bank gives you the $100 right away, and you use $50 to buy groceries. Later, the bank finds out the check was fake and couldn’t get the money from your friend’s bank.

The bank can take the $100 back from your account, even though you already spent $50 on groceries. If they don’t tell you quickly enough, they might have to cover any extra fees or problems caused by the delay.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 4214 Bank Settlement Revocation Rules

(a) If a collecting bank has made provisional settlement with its customer for an item and fails by reason of dishonor, suspension of payments by a bank, or otherwise to receive settlement for the item which is or becomes final, the bank may revoke the settlement given by it, charge back the amount of any credit given for the item to its customer’s account, or obtain refund from its customer, whether or not it is able to return the item, if by its midnight deadline or within a longer reasonable time after it learns the facts it returns the item or sends notification of the facts. If the return or notice is delayed beyond the bank’s midnight deadline or a longer reasonable time after it learns the facts, the bank may revoke the settlement, charge back the credit, or obtain refund from its customer, but it is liable for any loss resulting from the delay. These rights to revoke, charge back and obtain refund terminate if and when a settlement for the item received by the bank is or becomes final. (b) A collecting bank returns an item when it is sent or delivered to the bank’s customer or transferor or pursuant to its instructions. (c) A depositary bank that is also the payor may charge back the amount of an item to its customer’s account or obtain refund in accordance with the section governing return of an item received by a payor bank for credit on its books (Section 4301). (d) The right to charge back is not affected by either of the following: (1) Previous use of a credit given for the item. (2) Failure by any bank to exercise ordinary care with respect to the item, but a bank so failing remains liable. (e) A failure to charge back or claim refund does not affect other rights of the bank against the customer or any other party. (f) If credit is given in dollars as the equivalent of the value of an item payable in foreign money, the dollar amount of any charge-back or refund shall be calculated on the basis of the bank-offered spot rate for the foreign money prevailing on the day when the person entitled to the charge-back or refund learns that it will not receive payment in ordinary course. (Added by renumbering Section 4212 by Stats. 1992, Ch. 914, Sec. 34. Effective January 1, 1993.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

provisional settlementcharge backmidnight deadlinefinal settlement

Related Statutes

  • § 4201 Bank Settlement Provisional Status
  • § 4202 Bank Item Collection Duties
  • § 4210 Bank Security Interest Rules
  • § 4215 Final Bank Payment Rules
  • § 4216 Bank Item Return Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 4214.
View Official Source