Writing a check to one person OR another?

[seashells]

I am writing a check right now to pay back a loan the in-laws gave us for a couple of months. MIL didn't take FIL's last name.

I could write the check to:

Mother In Law and Father In Law

or

Mother In Law

or

Father In Law

But if I write MIL AND FIL they both have to be on the account to deposit the check, I believe? And I don't know whose name is on the account they will want to deposit to.

Can I write to:

Mother In Law OR Father In Law

?

And then if they wanted to deposit to a joint account, or hers, or his, we're all set?

Yes, the best solution is to call up MIL right now and ask her who to make the check to :) But if I call MIL I'll have to talk to her for an hour or more, and I have the flu and don't feel like it :) (And no, me having the flu and begging off and so on will NOT shorten the call, lol). So that's why I'm posting this dumb post.

[Denvergirlie]

Who orginally wrote and signed the check for the loan to you in the first place?

Can you email MIL and ask the same question, but preface the email with sorry for not calling but I'm under the weather?

Can you ask your partner who in that family unit normally handles the money?

[Carson]

You can write the check payable to MIL Jones OR FIL Smith

[CourtBChase]

If you put both of their names on the check, the one who is not depositing it can just sign their name on the back.  That basically "gives" the check to the other person.

[seashells]

Thanks, everyone. My DH ended up talking to MIL today anyway so he got the answer (to MIL's name, if anyone cares).

I never saw the original check, so I have no idea who wrote or signed it, lol.

Email would be faboo. But MIL checks her email monthly, if that :)

The family unit is a new one - FIL is not DH's father. So DH would not have known who usually goes to the bank, etc. Generally speaking, we know MIL and FIL both handle finances together (they are both frugal - with spendy exes - and so they are very happy to be on the same page with money at last!).

All great questions, too bad I couldn't answer any of them!
 

[neetling]

I used to be a teller.  If you write it OR, either party can cash it.  If you write it AND the check needs both signatures for it to be cashed.