Some may believe that it is not fair to subject Any Kind Check, Inc. to a more stringent form of due diligence and good faith and that it will affect the business negativly. In 1992, the Florida legislature adopted a new definition of good faith. It states that honesty in fact must coincide with the reasonableness of commercial standards of fair dealing (Maine Family Fed. Credit Union v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada, 727 A.2d 335, 342 (Me.1999). In other words, Any Kind Checks, should adopt or create their own standards of due diligence and apply those standards with all applicable transactions. I do not believe that this extra step by the business will be a hindrance to commerce and that in fact it better protects both the business and consumers from fraud. This is a complex case in which a vulnerable person was taken advantage of by con men who effectively stole a large sum of money from him. The involvement of the check cashing facility can only be seen as a contributor to fraud but not a direct participant. In order to affectively follow the law, the check cashing company could have avoided any involvement by verifying the first check and refusing to cash it. With regard to the second check, all good faith and due diligence was applied and Any Kind Check, Inc. was a holder in due course.
References
§ 673.3021(1), Fla. Stat. (2001) § 673.3051(1) & (2), Fla. Stat. (2001).
Maine Family Fed. Credit Union v. Sun Life Assurance Co.