ke College Easier； Beat The System & Get A Very Cool Job （Ten Speed Press）。 All contents on this page ？ 1995； By Patrick Combs。 All rights reserved。 goodthink
95；093。35 Adventure； Part V Henry Bailey
After I returned to San Francisco； I didn't hear from First Interstate Bank。 No phone calls and no letters。 Each day I expected to receive an official letter from the bank； but nothing arrived。
My curiosity drove me back to the law library。 This time I was determined to read and understand the big book； Brady on Bank Checks： The Law of Bank Checks by Henry Bailey and Richard Hagedorn。 And this time； determination （or coffee） made the difference； because I knew what I was reading。 I was reading a lot of laws； in black and white； that gave me a legal right to the money。
I photocopied like a madman。 I copied the Midnight Law； Finality of Payment and court case rulings that held it illegal for a bank to cancel a cashier's check。 Then； just before my brain went to mush and my photocopying change ran out； I read a footnote by the author regarding the law that makes the words 〃non…negotiable〃 meaningless on a check。 The author wrote：
〃The only problem with this approach is the use of blank sample check forms that bear language such as 'void' or 'non…negotiable' or 'sample form' that is clearly intended to show that the particular sample or form is not intended as a valid check。 Would potential liability exist if such a sample form is filled in without authority and passed to one who could take as a holder in due course？ The 1990 provision might well be drafted to avoid such a possible problem。〃
The author of Brady on Bank Checks had seen my situation coming！ I had to tell him。
I noted from the back of the book that both authors were once professors at Willamette University in Oregon。 I called the university as soon as I got home。 （I didn't even have to call Information for the number； because I had just recently given a speech there。） Only one of the authors； Richard Hagedorn； was still working there； the other had retired。 I asked if I could speak with Mr。 Hagedorn and was informed that he was on vacation for the week。 My heart sunk。
Then I got an idea。 I said； 〃Is Henry enjoying his retirement？〃
〃Yes he is；〃 came the reply。 〃As a matter of fact； he still keeps in touch with us on occasion。〃
I said； 〃I bet he stayed in the beautiful state of Oregon when he retired。 I'm from Oregon myself。〃 （This was true； I was born and raised there。）
And the golden reply came back； 〃No； actually he retired to a small town just outside of Providence； Rhode Island。〃
In no time at all； Directory Assistance was giving me a phone number for one Henry Bailey in Providence； Rhode Island。
The phone rang 25 times before an elderly woman answered。 I asked for Henry Bailey。 She said； 〃Just a minute〃and then the connection was broken。
I tried calling back right away； but there was no answer no matter how many times I let it ring。
So I called again the next dayand after twenty or so rings； an elderly man answeredand was he gruff！ I tried to explain the reason for my call； but he just kept firing angry questions at me。 〃Who is this？ What are you calling about？ Who are you？ Are you a lawyer？ Are you a banker？ Are you with the press？ Then why are you calling me？
Finally； I was able to express that I was a 29…year…old consumer calling because I was in the middle of the very problem he had foreseen。 Eventually my explanation began to sink in； when I mentioned the UCC code about the words 〃non…negotiable；〃 he brightened up like a light。 〃Yes； I wrote about that problem in Brady and I published an article about it in Banking Law Journal。 It was never like that in the 1962 code！〃
Our conversation progressed。 I said； 〃I deposited an advertising check and。。。〃
He responded； 〃Well； it sounds like you weren't being very honorable。〃
I tried again。 〃I deposited it because I thought my bank would never accept it； but they did。〃
〃Well； that doesn't necessarily make you a holder in due course。 Did it have a name on it？〃
〃Yes； sir； it had my name on it。〃
〃Your name！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Hmm。。。。Well； did it have a signature on it？〃
〃Yes； sir； an authorized signature and an account number。〃
〃It did！ Well； these dummies deserve it！ Was this check an advertisement？〃
I replied； 〃Yes！ That's exactly what it was。〃
With a pleased note in his voice； he said； 〃Oh； this sounds good。 How much was it for？〃
〃Ninety…five thousand。〃
〃Oh； this sounds really good！ Well； when did the company call you？〃
I answered； 〃The company didn't call me； my bank did。 They said the check was returned as a 'non…cash item。'〃
〃When did you deposit the check； and when did your bank notify you？〃
〃I deposited it on May 19 and my bank returned it on June 21。〃
〃Well； if your bank delayed that long； you have a legal claim to that money。 Your bank has to meet a Midnight Deadline！ You need to get a lawyer because that money is legally yours。〃 And he began citing many court cases and reiterating that I needed to get a lawyer。
At the end of our conversation； he said he was glad that I had called to tell him。
It was an honor to speak with Henry Bailey。
END Part V
Part VI： The Wall Street Journal
Patrick Combs is available as keynote speaker for your next event。 Let him inspire your audience with the story and discussion of his 95；000 Adventure。 He is also the author of MAJOR IN SUCCESS： Make College Easier； Beat The System & Get A Very Cool Job （Ten Speed Press）。 All contents on this page ？ 1995； By Patrick Combs。 All rights reserved。 goodthink
95；093。35 Adventure； Part VI The Wall Street Journal
Too make quite a long story somewhat shorter； another month passed and the bank never sent me a letter； never contacted me； didn't so much as make a peep in my direction。
I finally decided to call a newspaper。 As for why； I can only tell you this： Deep down inside I felt like I hadn't done anything wrong。 If people judged me differently； it would be because they're different people with different values。 And perhaps I should add something else。 Of the many lessons I learned from this adventure； one of the greatest was this： never let fear win。
I decided to call the most prestigious newspaper in the country； The Wall Street Journal。
It was July 13。 I called Information and found that The Wall Street Journal had a San Francisco bureau。 A woman answered the phone。 I asked her if I could speak to a reporter who writes features； and explained I might have a great story for the paper。 〃What's your story？〃 she asked。 Figuring that if I could sell her； she'd put me through to one of the reporters； I launched right into a brisk and upbeat telling of the story。 Within 15 seconds I could tell that I had her interested。
When I finished she said； 〃That's a great story！ I'd love to write it。〃
At the same time； I made this website and people from all over the world started started reading along。
Throughout the two harrowing months that followed； I kept the those interested informed of developments through regular updates on my web page。 At the same time； I was facing the beginning of the school yearthe time of year when I am always busiest as a speaker。 So in the midst of everything else； I had to be flying around the country； giving speeches and workshops at dozens of colleges。 Sometimes I woke up in a different city each day。
Many of these were posted very late at night； from nondescript hotel rooms in strange cities； after long and exhausting days of lecturing； endless interviews； and innumerable phone calls。 Endless interviews； and innumerabel phone calls because on Wednesday； August 16； I went out to The Wall Street Journal box and I plopped my three quarters in； grabbed for the paper。 Flipped to the second section； and saw the words 〃Trash Into Quick Cash。〃 It was a short story about my adventure。 PAY DIRT！！
That day； my voice mail was deluged with calls from radio； newspaper； and television。 Calls included messages from both The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno！ I did an interview with a reporter from the Associated Press wire that afternoon。 The reporter said that she'd write it up； and it would definitely be released to all California papers； and maybe to all national newspapers。
The next day； over 200 newspapers carried headlines similar to this one from The San Jose Mercury News； 〃Man 1； Bank 0。〃
It created an enourmous media storm in my life。 Over the next three weeks I did interviews on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw； Hard Copy； ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings； the Montel Williams show； CNBC's The Money Club； Good Morning America； and all of the top San Francisco news stations。
Reporters were also trying to interview my bank； which would only reply …〃No comment。〃
During each interview； I was always asked； 〃Patrick； you have the money locked in a safe deposit box。 What are you going to do next？〃 I would reply； 〃I'd like the CEO of first interstate bank to take me to lunch； where I'd give him back the check。 He'd give me an official letter from the bank； documenting that I'd returned money I had a legal claim to； and that I had not attempted to fraud the bank。 Then together we'd donate the money to charity （since it was legally mine； but ethically the banks）。
During her news broadcast； Dianne Sawyer commented； 〃Patrick； I wouldn't count on that lunch。〃 And she was right。
Instead； I was served with legal papers that were calling me into court to decide who the money legally belonged to。
At this point； knowing that I wasn't out to keep the money； I called up the bank's senior legal counsel and told him I wanted to give the money back。 〃I'm the world's easy guy to get the money back from … all you have to do is write me an official letter from the bank that addresses this fiasco from a fair point of view。 I invited him to meet with me； to draft such a letter and come to a resolve； and we did。
To again attempt to shorten a long story； the bank continued for another month to make very funny errors。 Funny things continued to happen as a result of ongoing media interviews。 Even had a First Interstate employee begin to offer me 〃inside informa