Hot Check Department
Milam County Hot Check Coordinator
P.O. Box 713
806 N. Crockett St. Suite D
Cameron, Texas 76520
(254) 697-7013
Contact-Valerie Ramirez
The mission of the Hot Checks Dept. is to investigate, prosecute, and collect monies from hot check writers in order to reimburse their victims. The Hot Checks Dept. is one of the few departments at the District Attorney’s Office that is able to take reports of criminal conduct directly from the victim of the crime. There is no cost to the victim to submit checks to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution and collection.
Hot Check Procedures
Dear Merchant:
The following is necessary information for turning checks over to our office for prosecution.
1. Check Receipt
2. Merchant Questionnaire
3. Witness Statement
Please Keep the following in mind:
1. Check must be accepted in Milam County
2. We prosecute "NSF" and "Account Closed" checks only. Each check must be stamped by the bank accordingly.
3. We do not accept any checks over six months old (from date check was written).
4. Checks stamped by the bank "NSF" and over 30 days old must be accompanied by a certified green card or an unopened certified letter stamped "unclaimed" by the post office. You are also required to furnish a copy of your certified letter.
5. Checks stamped by the bank "Account Closed" do not require a certified letter to be sent.
6. We prosecute the check writer, not a business. Therefore, if you accept checks from a business, make sure you know who wrote the check. Also, if you need to send a certified letter, you are required to send it to the check writer, not the business.
7. After you submit a check to our office, you may not accept payment for that check. This is very important because of the liability issue when issuing warrants. If the check writer mails you a payment, you are required to forward that payment to our office (in the form of a money order) within 24 hours. If the check writer attempts to contact you regarding this check, please refer him/her to our office.
8. You must submit the original check or a bank certified copy of the check when submitting checks for prosecution.
9. We require that you provide our office with the driver's license number (and state), curent address and telephone number of each check writer.
If your business is located in another county, you must provide this office with a written statement as to how you received this check in Milam County.
We will make every attempt to collect on the checks you submit to our office. However, please keep in mind that Milam County Hot Check department is a prosecuting agency, not a collection agency.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office
Sincerely,
Bill Torrey
District/County Attorney