re information； contact the Office of Thrift Supervision （O。T。S）。〃
I called the O。T。S。 and a man answered the phone。 I gave my first name only and gave him a quick synopsis。 He treated my story with a cool intrigue。 He told me that the ten…day law the teller had mentioned was known as the 〃Midnight Deadline。〃 But he suggested that the more important legal question had to do with 〃negotiability。〃 He wondered if the check I deposited was a true negotiable instrument。 He said； 〃The banking law book； Brady's； has specific criteria that a check has to match in order to qualify as a legal negotiable instrument。 I'm not sure what they are； but if the check you deposited was actually a negotiable instrument； that would explain why your bank passed it。〃
Within three hours I was on my way to the Hastings Law Library and to the book Brady on Bank Checks： The Law of Bank Checks by Henry Bailey and Richard Hagedorn。
Soon I knew why law students always looked so beat and tired。 I didn't know how I was going to find anything in the monstrous tome in front of me。
Then my eyes caught sight of a small； pocket…sized book titled Negotiable Instruments and Check Collection； a guide for laymen。 And plain as day； it listed the nine criteria for a negotiable instrument。 Read for yourself what I read； and I believe you'll yell out loud just as I did when I came to the very last word：
〃1。 Must be in writing。
2。 Signed by maker or drawer。
3。 Promise or order。。。。A check usually meets the requirement because the drawee's name is printed and encoded on the face of the instrument。
4。 Unconditional。。。。
5。 Order to pay money。
6。 Must be a fixed amount。
7。 Payable on demand or at a definite time。。。。
8。 Payable to order or to bearer。。。。
9。 No other undertaking or instruction。 The final requirement of negotiability is that beyond the maker's order。。。the instrument must not contain 'any other undertaking or instruction'。。。。The opposite issue is whether or not the parties can use a form that is a negotiable instrument and avoid negotiability by declaring； on the instrument； that it is not negotiable。 The answer is yes； except for a check。〃
This was one book I wanted to steal from the library （but didn't）。 The get…rich…quick company had accidentally designed a real check； and I had deposited it！
End of Part I
Part II： Getting A Cashier's Check
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 II Getting a Cashier's Check
I didn't touch the money for a month。 Then； I called my brother and asked him what to do。 We both agreed that； law or no law； someone would be coming for the money； and they'd probably be wearing black suits and packing heat。 Then； my brother suggested that I get the entire amount in cash and put it in a safe…deposit box at my bank。
〃Why？〃 I asked。
〃Picture walking into the vault； going behind the curtain； and opening a box filled with 95；000 cash。 It'll be fun to look at。 How many times in your life are you going to have 95；000 cash in a safe…deposit box？〃
I liked the idea。 It seemed as though it couldn't hurt； since the money would never leave my bank。
I asked a teller if the bank could get me a hundred thousand dollars in cash if I needed it。 The teller broke out in a chuckle and said； 〃Nobody's ever done that in the fifteen years I've been working。〃
〃But if I wanted to； can you get me that much cash？〃
The teller chuckled again； this time with a touch of nervousness； and she replied； 〃We'd have to tell the IRS and order it four days in advance。 But nobody's ever done that。〃
〃You'd have to order it four days in advance and notify the IRS？〃
〃Yes； because we don't keep that much cash on hand。 The largest bill in circulation now is the 100 bill； there are no more 500 bills。 And we have to report any cash withdrawals in excess of 10；000。〃
Five First Interstate branches later； I'd learned that no safe…deposit boxes were available that were big enough to hold that much cash in 100 bills。
Later that day I began contemplating just how much money 95；000 was； and I arrived at this： one thousand dollars a month for eight years。
The next day； June 13； I woke up and decided that if I couldn't look at cash； it would be almost as fun to look at a cashier's check。 I got in my car and drove to the California Street office of First Interstate； because it is the bank's showcase branchcathedral ceilings； marble floors； towering columns； and gold trimlocated in the heart of San Francisco's skyscraper district。
First I approached the Customer Service window and filled out the form for a small； fifty…dollar…per…year safe…deposit box。 Then I went to a teller's window。 The teller asked how she could help me。
Suddenly； my mouth got all dry。 I didn't want to say 95；093。35 out loud；。 So I asked the teller for a piece of paper。 I wrote 95；093。35 on it； passed it to her； and said； 〃I'd like to get this amount in a cashier's check。〃
Without saying a word； she began moving quickly to grab papers and forms。 Then she rushed out these words： 〃You need to write me a check for the same amount。〃 She seemed bothered。
I understood and began to write out the check。 Suddenly I was daunted by having to write out 95；093。35。 I had never written it out in words before and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get it to fit on the line： ninety…five thousand ninety…three dollars and thirty…five cents。 That was the biggest number I'd ever written into the suddenly small space on a check。
It took her only two minutes to prepare the cashier's check。 It seemed like twenty。 Her manager approved it； and she slid it across the counter to me。
I walked straight back to Customer Service and was escorted into the vault。 The bank teller slid my box out and pointed me to the curtain I could go behind for privacy。 〃No need；〃 I said； and I slipped the folded check out of my jeans pocket and into the metal container。
The minute I stepped out of my bank and onto the street just below the TransAmerica Pyramid Tower； my blood raced with the strangest feeling： like I was ten feet taller； twice as fast； and suddenly capable of super powers。 As I headed to my car； I slipped the ninety…five thousand ninety…three dollar and thirty…five cent safe…deposit box key onto my key ring。
End Part II
Part III： The Day They Noticed 95；093。35 Missing
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 III The Day They Noticed 95；093。35 Missing
One week after I put the cashier's check into the safe…deposit boxand thirty…three days after I had deposited the junk mail checkthree people from my bank called。 They flooded my voice mail with messages that said it was 〃very important〃 and 〃very urgent〃 that I return their calls 〃as soon as possible。〃 One of the calls was from my branch office； one from the bank's Los Angeles headquarters； and one from an officer in the security department。
That evening I put my bank card into an ATM to get some cash for dinner。 The ATM ate my card； and on the screen green words glowed： 〃Card Confiscated。 Contact Your Branch Office。〃
The next morning I was up at 5：30 a。m。 to catch a flight to New York； to begin a three…week vacation I had scheduled over a month ago； before The Check。 My flight had a short stopover in Seattle at about 10：00 a。m。； and I used the time to return the bank's calls。 The hardest call was the third call with the Robert Gage； First Interstate's Senior Security Officer。 He took my call right away。 （It's funny how you don't have to wend your way through your bank's time…wasting voice…mail systems when you've got a major chunk of their change。） Robert was an older man with a very gruff cop's voice。 He was not a happy camper。 Immediately he informed me that he was 〃on the case〃 and he wanted the cashier's check NOW。
When I asked him how he thought this could have happened； he let me know loudly that he didn't care a bit WHY First Interstate Bank would have cashed a junk…mail check； because this was a matter of fraud。
He'd heard I was out of town； so he proceeded to drill me with possible ways to get the check back immediately。
He said； 〃Can you fly back to return the check right now？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Then could someone else open the box？〃
〃No； sir。 I'm the only one on the signature card。〃
〃Will you give me permission to drill the box？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃So you won't cooperate！〃
I replied； 〃Yes； I will。 As soon as I get back on July 6。〃
〃Why won't you give me permission to drill the box？〃
〃Because it would be irresponsible of me。 You say you're from