Fees for Bouncing Checks to Governments Could Rise

Bounce a check with your local or county government and it will cost you more, if a bill proposed by three Ocean County lawmakers is enacted.

Saying banks are charging local and county governments more in service fees than the $20 fee officials can collect from those writing the bad checks, Sen. Christopher Connors, R-9, is proposing to link the fees. County and local governments would be able to assess a bad check fee equal to the one their bank is charging.

The law setting the $20 maximum is “an area of state law that needs to be updated to reflect the current cost of banking services,’’ Connors said.

However, local governments would not be able to create a cash cow by hiking fees beyond those charged by their depository, he said.

Connors said an Assembly version of the same bill will be introduced by Brian Rumpf and DiAnne Gove, both R-9.