University of South Carolina Libraries
. Local stores complaii C.horh. - V-?f VV/V/f V \/vi^V By Danny Powell Oimteock Staff WrtHr Check cashing may be difficult in the future unless changes are made in the current S. C. bad check law, said Howard Rhodes, USC treasurer. 'The person has to resume the resDonsibilitv of making sure that they have the money," Rhodes said, because bounced checks are bad for a student's personal record. THERE ARE only a few places on or near campus where students can get cheeks cashed, and the three closest, :xuorneu Arms Pharmacy, South Carolina Book Store, and Petigru College all claim to have problems with bad checks. "Students don't value this checkcashing service like they should," Lorraine Long, co-owner of Cornell Arms Pharmacy, said. She said students have been ''downright irate" about the service charge levied when cashing checks. But, she said, she believes the charge is fair because of the time involved in handling the checks. Perk Bailey, South Carolina Book Store owner, said between 150 to 200 checks bounce within the first two weeks of school. He said the bookstore loses between $S0C and$l,000 per semester because ol bad checks. "THERE IS no way to stop il (bad checks)," said Georg< Adams, a Campus Bookston spokesman. "The only way U discourage people from writinj bad checks is to be tough," he said Bad checks received by US< have increased by$20,000 this yea over this past year within the sam time period, Rhodes said. He sai as many as five percent of 25,00 tuition checks bounce, and whe this happens, the student must pa a late charge of I5per day until th account is settled. The most common time for ba checks to be written is toward th end of the school semesters, Lor said. She said more than 40 peop] passed bad checks before th ossscsssssssssssssss r $fo? I Any Pi Rih c; IJL VXK-f WITH 5 (Thru *Not Goc fappmc (| g-"} \. Oprn Daily at f pj v^and always on ! I HAPPY HOI || 4:30 'TIL 6:2 \ I Luncheon Drink Spicu , I *2600 DECKER Bl IBS3RSH5HS55B555S55SSI n of bad checks hing may I "Students don't value this service like they should." -^-Lorraine Long , Cornell-Arm s Pharmacy Christmas break this past year. She also said about 10 percent of the checks Cornell Arms receives ? U?il V Anrt aaid U (olrM on Mrfra m c uou. UV115 muu ? ?. employee just to handle the checks the pharmacy cashes and the checks which bounce. < LONG SAID bad checks occui most frequently when USC a topi cashing checks at the end of school Inflation has also been a factor ii the rise in the number of ba< checks, Long said. "It has gottei worse since money has gottei tight." Bailey said, "Virtually 10 year ago, we did not know what a ba< ~ ? ? u check was." He saia, nowever, n 1 has never taken anybody to coui i on a bad check charge. 1 A new reimbursement policy fc > bad checks went into effect Aug. 1 f 1978, according to Sharon Turnei court administrator for th ^ Columbia Magistrate Court. ; TURNER SAID before the ne 5 policy was instigated, tt * modiafrafM collected the mora I for bounced checks. But now, wi the new policy in effect, U - magistrate can only sen r warrants and arrest the offender e it is then up to the merchant d decide whether to prosecute. 0 . The only flaw in the new polic n according to Rhodes, is the fa y that the merchants must go in c the district where the offend resides in order to press chargc d Rhodes said this is difficult for t ie merchants, because they ha >g to leave their businesses to coll< le their money. Before, however, t ie magistrate collected the money 1 &BS3BSBBS8SSSB - HEMHHRBHflHmaMEMMBBBM ' Off I ^ . I zza, Fasta g or 1 election I STUDENT I. D. g i September) |j )d for Specials ?jj I >e difficult them. Rhodes said he would like to see the summons on bad checks be served where the check is written, regardless of where the person resides. "It would help the owner some if they could do this/' he said. "I'm not saying it's a bad law, but its going to mean a lot of work for the ? UICIUWU us. "The laws are set up for the criminals, not for the good people, - and it makes it tough on them (the good people)/' Rhodes said. THE CAMPUS BOOKSTORE i ! has taken precautions to stop the i passage of bad checks repeatedly. ! Adams said a list of about 160 student ID numbers of persons who have bounced checks there since this past February is hooked up i into the computerized cash register system at the bookstore. He said i the new system has stopped many i people from cashing checks, a However, two months may pass a ' before the bookstore employees know a check has bounced and can s add the ID number to their list, d Adams said. After the check goes e through the Treasurer's office and t two letters are sent to the persor whose check has bounced, th< >r bookstore learns about the check L, By this time, Adams said, th< r student could have oassed severa ie hundred dollars worth of ba< checks. Adams said USC needs to ge w tough with people who pass ba ie ! checks and never make them gooc jy He said Clemson students cannc th : get their diplomas if they owe th ie university any amount of money /e At Carolina, however, this is n< is. the case. to Rhodes said the university wi be meeting within the next week 1 :y, determine how to deal with peop] uiKa uirito hoH ohprks fUV fTUV ?* A -V/M.V. I to ler S Overwei JCt he for K Exercisc Classes will meet thre I I Call now to reser If interested OfN Immimmmmmmmmmmwmmmmmmmmmmemmmmamammmmtmm Free Deiivciy j" of Best Pizza in j South Carolina... | Serving Cnlwniln for /S*4/ . TnW \ wretknnZSyenri J?? 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