My Mother’s COVID Check Arrived Today…

 

…even though she passed away in April 2018. However, there’s a big box on the front of the envelope with the words:

IF RECIPIENT DECEASED
Check here and drop in mailbox.

Okay, fine and dandy. The irony is the check inside is made out to “Mama J. Stad DECD” with my name underneath, probably as executor of her estate. It makes me wonder how anyone can think the federal government should be in charge of all health care in this country.

Has anyone else had this kind of experience with COVID checks for deceased relatives?  I’m debating mailing it back vs. letting it go void in one year…

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  1. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law.  The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line.  I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    • #1
  2. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    Oh. My. God. It’s worse – no, scratch that – It’s as bad as I thought.

    • #2
  3. OldPhil Coolidge
    OldPhil
    @OldPhil

    Still waiting for ours. I didn’t have direct deposit because we always owe at tax time, and I decided not to input by bank information to IRS. Just hoping it doesn’t come with “DECD” on it.

    • #3
  4. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law. The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line. I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    No way I’m gonna cash it.  There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    • #4
  5. 9thDistrictNeighbor Member
    9thDistrictNeighbor
    @9thDistrictNeighbor

    Stad: I’m debating mailing it back vs. letting it go void in one year . . .

    My dad, who was a surgeon, used to get checks from insurance companies that would be for 2 or 3 cents.  I have one of them in his papers.  

    I would keep it.  It will be a good history lesson for one of those future times when we tell our great-grandchildren how the United States went down the tubes.  

    • #5
  6. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    Stad (View Comment):
    No way I’m gonna cash it. There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    And you won’t get it.  They will release you back out into the general population, and your barbershop will still be closed.  Sorry.

    • #6
  7. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    The Scarecrow (View Comment):
    And you won’t get it. They will release you back out into the general population

    Only if I commit a violent crime while in prison, then I’d be released . . .

    • #7
  8. Hugh Member
    Hugh
    @Hugh

    the computer that types out all the cheques is not very bright….

    • #8
  9. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    Stad (View Comment):

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law. The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line. I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    No way I’m gonna cash it. There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    My biggest fear is that we don’t cash it and then a year from now, the government realizes that my father-in-law is dead and has a record of sending us the check and demands that we pay back the money but won’t accept the unendorsed uncashed check and the check has expired so we can no longer cash it, so we wind up having to pay the federal government money out of our own pocket.

    It sounds like it could never happen, but I remind you, this is the federal government we are talking about.

    • #9
  10. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    Well I don’t have a Covid story, but when my sister renewed her driver license, they misspelled her last name. When she took it to the lady at the window, the lady said, “Oh no, I can’t alter an official state document.”

    • #10
  11. mildlyo Member
    mildlyo
    @mildlyo

    Tempting…

    • #11
  12. Maguffin Inactive
    Maguffin
    @Maguffin

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law. The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line. I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    No way I’m gonna cash it. There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    My biggest fear is that we don’t cash it and then a year from now, the government realizes that my father-in-law is dead and has a record of sending us the check and demands that we pay back the money but won’t accept the unendorsed uncashed check and the check has expired so we can no longer cash it, so we wind up having to pay the federal government money out of our own pocket.

    It sounds like it could never happen, but I remind you, this is the federal government we are talking about.

    So, you’ve got an envelope with a checkbox on the outside that if the recipient is deceased you are supposed to check and drop back in the mailbox – can you do that once you’ve opened it?  I typically do more than my fair share of tearing when opening envelopes and don’t always look at the envelope before I open.

    So you check it and drop it back in the mailbox like a good person. If they come after it in a year how are you supposed to prove you sent it back?   You don’t even have the unendorsed uncashed check to try that route then.

    • #12
  13. Stina Inactive
    Stina
    @CM

    Hugh (View Comment):

    the computer that types out all the cheques is not very bright….

    The person who made the query wasn’t too bright.

    • #13
  14. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law. The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line. I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    No way I’m gonna cash it. There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    My biggest fear is that we don’t cash it and then a year from now, the government realizes that my father-in-law is dead and has a record of sending us the check and demands that we pay back the money but won’t accept the unendorsed uncashed check and the check has expired so we can no longer cash it, so we wind up having to pay the federal government money out of our own pocket.

    It sounds like it could never happen, but I remind you, this is the federal government we are talking about.

    Hmmmm.  Makes me want to send it back with a return receipt . . .

    • #14
  15. JosePluma Coolidge
    JosePluma
    @JosePluma

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    Well I don’t have a Covid story, but when my sister renewed her driver license, they misspelled her last name. When she took it to the lady at the window, the lady said, “Oh no, I can’t alter an official state document.”

    They misspelled “Mary” on my daughter’s Social Security Card.  Let that sink in for a moment.

    It took her about three months of hassle to get that fixed.

    • #15
  16. Sisyphus (Rolling Stone) Member
    Sisyphus (Rolling Stone)
    @Sisyphus

    Stad (View Comment):

    The Scarecrow (View Comment):
    And you won’t get it. They will release you back out into the general population

    Only if I commit a violent crime while in prison, then I’d be released . . .

    Good luck with that. Had a prison ministry event postponed because the prison was in lockdown, residents kept in their cells for several days. The incident that led to that turned out to be four men killed in one violent spree. These are definitely the kind of people you want to try violence with.

    • #16
  17. CarolJoy, Above Top Secret Coolidge
    CarolJoy, Above Top Secret
    @CarolJoy

    Stad (View Comment):

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law. The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line. I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    No way I’m gonna cash it. There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    On the other hand,  some prisons are letting prisoners out so they can avoid the contagious spread  of COVID.

    • #17
  18. Hammer, The Inactive
    Hammer, The
    @RyanM

    Just cash it and distribute it according to her estate. 

    • #18
  19. Hammer, The Inactive
    Hammer, The
    @RyanM

    Stad (View Comment):

    A-Squared (View Comment):

    We received one for my deceased father-in-law. The check actually had my father-in-laws name with something like “DECD” next to and then my wife’s name on the next line. I didn’t look closely at the check, so I don’t know if it had the check box you describe.

    My wife did some googling and came across this article, which made it clear as mud.

    https://www.today.com/money/should-you-keep-stimulus-check-deceased-relative-t180523

    No way I’m gonna cash it. There’s also a warning about a $10,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment for forgery, and I don’t want my next haircut in Leavenworth . . .

    Haha, that is a statement of the maximum penalties. Note the phrase “up to.” You endorse it with your own name, signed “executor,” and then plead ignorance. Of course, your chances of dying from covid are significantly higher than the government going after you.

    That, while true, does not constitute legal advice.

    • #19
  20. colleenb Member
    colleenb
    @colleenb

    This is a miracle! The President is resurrecting the dead AND getting them to help the economy open back up.😉

    • #20
  21. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    9thDistrictNeighbor (View Comment):
    My dad, who was a surgeon, used to get checks from insurance companies that would be for 2 or 3 cents. I have one of them in his papers.

    My old medical practice once got a bill from Cigna (a large medical insurer) for a 1 cent overpayment. 

    • #21
  22. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    They misspelled “Mary”

    Misspelled a four-letter name?  That takes extraordinary skill . . .

    • #22
  23. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    9thDistrictNeighbor (View Comment):
    My dad, who was a surgeon, used to get checks from insurance companies that would be for 2 or 3 cents. I have one of them in his papers.

    My old medical practice once got a bill from Cigna (a large medical insurer) for a 1 cent overpayment.

    Got this check a while back:

     

    • #23
  24. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    Well I don’t have a Covid story, but when my sister renewed her driver license, they misspelled her last name. When she took it to the lady at the window, the lady said, “Oh no, I can’t alter an official state document.”

    I told this to my wife and she laughed hysterically . . .

    • #24
  25. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Same thing here. We received the check for Mr. C’s deceased father almost exactly two years to the day he died. We took a picture and are sending it back. Didn’t notice the check box on the envelope. 

    That’s what you call “government efficiency.” 

    • #25
  26. Hammer, The Inactive
    Hammer, The
    @RyanM

    A note on “you could serve” warnings.  These have always been a pet peeve of mine.  There are signs all around that talk about DUI’s and say “you face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.”  Yeah…  a DUI is a gross misdemeanor, and the maximum penalty for a gross misdemeanor is a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.  This means that you couldn’t possibly get more than that.  It’s been a while since I practiced criminal law, but the minimum for a first offense is something like 24 hrs (which can be substituted with house arrest) and a $300 fine.  It goes up from there.  I’ve never actually seen anyone serve a year in jail for a DUI, but you’d have to get a lot before that happened.

    Point being – yes, it’s a crime, and yes, it’s perfectly fine to put on billboards that it is a crime, but listing the statutory maximum penalties, with the clear implication that this is what will happen if you do what they’re telling you not to do, is blatantly dishonest.  I detest scare tactics like that.  Reminds me of when our city locked down because the local hospital said that we would be overwhelmed by april 3 and the hospital would be “having to choose who gets to live and who has to die.”  Based on the lag period from when we started the lockdown, that should have happened, anyway.  The maximum number of people we’ve had in the hospital during this entire thing is 25, and we never came anywhere close to being overwhelmed.  The hospital was lying, and it was deliberately lying, because it felt that being terrified was in our best interests.

    Government’s view of people is pretty much that we are all infants and should be treated accordingly.  I dislike that.

    • #26
  27. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    The funny thing is that the check recognizes the person as deceased. They have that information in their database.

    They could not exclude the deceased. But they could exclude household incomes exceeding $100k. Hmm…

    • #27
  28. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    It makes me wonder if even the dead have become so reluctant to vote Democrat that they must be bribed. 

    • #28
  29. drlorentz Member
    drlorentz
    @drlorentz

    Stad: Has anyone else had this kind of experience with COVID checks for deceased relatives? I’m debating mailing it back vs. letting it go void in one year…

    Not only did I get such a check, it came back after I followed the directions: checking the box and dropping it in a mailbox. We’ll see how it  goes the second time around. Maybe they’ll notice the remarks if they’re in red. It took all the restraint I could muster to avoid appending “you morons” to the “Return.” I guess it was implied.

    • #29
  30. Misthiocracy held his nose and Member
    Misthiocracy held his nose and
    @Misthiocracy

    Up here in the Great White North, you have to actually apply for the Covid benefit.  That’s a good thing.

    On the other hand, everybody that applies gets it, even if they do not qualify.  The plan is to claw it back when they do their taxes.

    • #30
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