just need to vent.....landlord issue

[Journey]

I am a single mom of two daughters...19 and 26.  We rent our home and are on a month to month lease.  We are moving out at the end of this month and moving in with my elderly parents, to help them out and to help me out financially.  The home we rent is a single family and i take care of the yard.  I very rarely have had to call the landlord in the three years we've been here.  I pay my rent on time, every month.  I am a good tenant if i do say so myself!  So when i sent my last rent check to my landlord a couple of weeks ago, i told her we would be moving at the end of the month and i told her the reasons why (the ones i said in this post).  I told her that they were very good landlords and that i know they can get alot more for rent than they are getting from me.  I also thanked her for letting this house feel more like a home to my girls and me rather than just a place we rented.  I think my landlords have alot of money.  They never  cashed my rent check until the middle to the end of each month.  One time though they cashed two months worth on the same day.  Did i mention i am a single mom on a limited budget?  Well, i am. When this happened i called her and asked her not to do that again since i only get paid every two weeks.  She was fine with it. So i go to mcdonalds today to get my daughter an iced tea ($1).  The card didn't go through.  Guess why?  Yep, she cashed both checks today.  Thank you very much.  I am SO mad, I am SOOOOO mad.  Not only did i not have the money in the account, but i got an overdraft fee and i had already asked her not to do that after she did it  the first time.  I want to do something so passive agressive but i can't.  I want to take the "for rent" sign that's in our front yard and throw it in the garbage but i won't.  I don't want to let them show the house when they want to show it but i can't do that either.....i do want to get my security deposit back so i can't rock the boat.  Obviously they are angry that we are moving out...i think.....otherwise why would she cash both checks at once...again.  i think it's rude and childlish and i'm mad that there's nothing i can do about it.  thankfully i can borrow the money from my daughter  but that's not the point.  i'm just annoyed and i'm just mad at myself for thinking that this lady and her husband were people with integrity.  THEY don't need $2000 in one day, i know they don't.  they are just being mean.  thanks for letting me vent.

[Annie G]

I don't understand why you feel the landlord did something wrong. You sent a rent check and they attempted to cash it.   Maybe in the past they didn't cash it right away but this time they did.  

[Laurel]

I don't understand. You wrote a check, but didn't have enough money in your account to cover it? And you're mad because your landlord cashed the check? Why does the landlord have two checks of yours anyway?

 

And if the money isn't there in your account, even if you wrote a check, that's not paying on time...

[QueenCat]

Why would you write a check for money that is not in the checking account?

[Danestress]

When I write a check, I deduct that money from the account mentally and on paper, so I would not spend it and bounce the check - unless I made mistake.

 

If you need someone to not cash a check, you can ask if they mind you post dating it.

[WishboneDawn]

Why not post date one of the checks? I'm not getting how this is the landlord's fault either. If you can't cover a cheque, you protect yourself by not writing it or post dating it.

 

Your landlord may have just had a bad moment and forgot about what you told her but in your situation is be angry with myself, not the landlord.

[Sara in AZ]

Yes, I don't get this either. My son's cello teacher has 3 months worth of checks she hasn't cashed (4 now since I paid for October this week.) This has been driving DH crazy when he balances the checkbook because that's about $300. But he knows that's $300 that isn't ours, and he's left it in the account for when she does get to the bank (which will be soon because I talked to her about it this week). Perhaps your landlord had many checks to cash and simply forgot your request? So sorry that you had the shock at the cash register. That would be so frustrating.

[Journey]

No I'm sorry but I don't have $2000 in my account. She didn't cash my september check until today and she cashed my october check today. As i said, she did this once before and I asked her not to do that again anf she did. She knows I'm on a limited income who has a daughter in her first year of college...she does not need $2000 in one day...these people have money. I feel like she did this to get back at me and yes I think that's rude. Every other time sbe has cashed the current month's check at the middle or end of the month. I had learned to budget around her check cashing history. So no, I don't have $2000 sitting in my checking account.

[Tammi K]

I'm going to have to agree with previous posters. I sounds like you wrote a check you couldn't cover. It's not their fault for cashing it.

 

[Tammi K]

No I'm sorry but I don't have $2000 in my account. She didn't cash my september check until today and she cashed my october check today. ....... So no, I don't have $2000 sitting in my checking account.

 

But, when you balance your checkbook, you can see that the check is still outstanding. So, you don't spend that money because it's already been 'spent'. 

 

[QueenCat]

No I'm sorry but I don't have $2000 in my account. She didn't cash my september check until today and she cashed my october check today. As i said, she did this once before and I asked her not to do that again anf she did. She knows I'm on a limited income who has a daughter in her first year of college...she does not need $2000 in one day...these people have money. I feel like she did this to get back at me and yes I think that's rude. Every other time sbe has cashed the current month's check at the middle or end of the month. I had learned to budget around her check cashing history. So no, I don't have $2000 sitting in my checking account.

 

Your landlord has the right to cash the check any time after she receives the check. It is actually fraudulent to knowingly write a check for which there is not enough money to cover. If she finds out you knew the money wasn't there, she could press charges against you.

[matrips]

Another one supporting the landlords. You owed the money, you wrote the checks. It wasn't your money anymore; it was theirs so it shouldn't matter when they cash it. They did nothing wrong. I often don't cash checks promptly because it's a pain to get to the bank. I certainly would take any and all checks when I did go instead of making multiple trips! You need to not spend the money that you've written checks for. Their habits and your request have nothing to do with it.

[WishboneDawn]

No I'm sorry but I don't have $2000 in my account. She didn't cash my september check until today and she cashed my october check today. As i said, she did this once before and I asked her not to do that again anf she did. She knows I'm on a limited income who has a daughter in her first year of college...she does not need $2000 in one day...these people have money. I feel like she did this to get back at me and yes I think that's rude. Every other time sbe has cashed the current month's check at the middle or end of the month. I had learned to budget around her check cashing history. So no, I don't have $2000 sitting in my checking account.

I don't think it's rude or mean. She may be just selling up before you guys move on. You gave her the checks so it was reasonable for her to assume you had the money in your account.

 

You didn't mention any real problems with her before and you've been happy enough to stay for quite awhile. Why, because of this one issue (that most seem to agree is of your own making) do you suddenly think she's rude or mean?

 

The mistake was yours.

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't get it either??? If you write a check and give it to someone then the money is theirs. they can cash it whenever they want. it is up to the person who wrote the check to balance their books and have the money available, not the receiver of the check.

[Journey]

Oh.my.gosh.....are you kidding me? Obviously she has the right to cash the check whenever she wants to. Duh. She did cash the checks exactly when she wanted to and guess what, she got her money. So go ahead and press charges. Unbelievable. What ibwas annoyed with is that I asked her not to cash both of them again and she did. Some of you people really need to get over yourselves because you're really annoying

[bettyandbob]

It sounds like you are not watching when your checks are cashed. So, you may have had the rent in the account on the day you wrote the check, but a couple weeks later you stop being concerned that the money is there and so may spend some of the 1000 that should have been there on groceries or whatever. You probably need to better accounting system for yourself so that you don't spend money with your debit card that needs to just sit until the person cashes the check. The landlord can cash the checks whenever. You have to leave the money there for him/her to cash when they get around to it. 

[elegantlion]

But when you write the check technically the money is gone. When the landlord cashes the check should be irrelevant if you are balancing your account properly. You cannot spend the money twice. I am on a tight budget too, but once a check is written the money is deducted from the balance, period.

[Melissa in Australia]

Oh.my.gosh.....are you kidding me? Obviously she has the right to cash the check whenever she wants to. Duh. She did cash the checks exactly when she wanted to and guess what, she got her money. So go ahead and press charges. Unbelievable. What ibwas annoyed with is that I asked her not to cash both of them again and she did. Some of you people really need to get over yourselves because you're really annoying

:lol:  :lol: :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  

you crack me up

[Sara in AZ]

It sounds like you are not watching when your checks are cashed. So, you may have had the rent in the account on the day you wrote the check, but a couple weeks later you stop being concerned that the money is there and so may spend some of the 1000 that should have been there on groceries or whatever. You probably need to better accounting system for yourself so that you don't spend money with your debit card that needs to just sit until the person cashes the check. The landlord can cash the checks whenever. You have to leave the money there for him/her to cash when they get around to it.

We actually set up a separate checking account strictly for bills. When DH gets paid, the funds are deposited into my debit account. He immediately (or not...) transfers what is needed to cover the regular bills into the checking account and it sits there until needed. Almost everything is automated, so the occasional unplanned for check can throw us off a bit, but in general this system has improved our lives tremendously.

[Jean in Newcastle]

It is not rude for a business (and that is what a landlord has) to cash the money owed to them.  Also - if you have given notice, they are going to need that money to turn the place around so that they can rent it again.  

[Mama Geek]

Oh.my.gosh.....are you kidding me? Obviously she has the right to cash the check whenever she wants to. Duh. She did cash the checks exactly when she wanted to and guess what, she got her money. So go ahead and press charges. Unbelievable. What ibwas annoyed with is that I asked her not to cash both of them again and she did. Some of you people really need to get over yourselves because you're really annoying

 

This is really a problem you created.  Dh and I were poor when we were in college and we did not write checks that we didn't have the money in the bank to pay for.  We very closely watched what money we had and what checks were outstanding.  In the 20 years we have been married we have only ever bounced 1 check and that happened because dh didn't write the check into the register and I missed it when balancing the check book.  

 

Take responsibility for the decisions you make, this is not the fault of your landlord.  When something is coming to an end I like to tie up loose ends and a check sitting around that hasn't been cashed for a few months is a loose end.  I would have cashed it too.

[Plink]

So sorry, but I need to agree with the others.  Your accounting practices aren't serving you well.  You wrote a check and forgot about it, so you spent too much money before it was cashed causing your account to be overdrawn.

 

Your landlord is not responsible for remembering your request.  You are responsible for ensuring that there is enough money in the account when you write a check.  Every time.  No matter how long it takes the recipient to cash it.

[aggieamy]

Oh.my.gosh.....are you kidding me? Obviously she has the right to cash the check whenever she wants to. Duh. She did cash the checks exactly when she wanted to and guess what, she got her money. So go ahead and press charges. Unbelievable. What ibwas annoyed with is that I asked her not to cash both of them again and she did. Some of you people really need to get over yourselves because you're really annoying

 

LOL.  Right back at you sweetheart!

[Journey]

I do watch my account everyday. I have to. My biggest fear is bouncing a check. The money was in there. She got her money...that's not the issue, the issue I had is that I asked her previously to not cash two checks at once and she said she wouldn't, and I trusted her when she said that, then she turned around and did it again. I don't think that was nice of hetr to do. Of course she has the right to cash them the second she got them, I'm paying her for a service, but now I am broke until a week from friday and that is scarey to me. Thankfully I won't have to deal with this again but I have to say that it makes me trust people even less than I did before and that doesn't make me feel very good. I really really liked this lady before and now, not so much and the reason fo that has nothing ti do with the fact that she cashed both checks today! Actually now that I think about it, I'm glad she cashed d them both so now I don't have to play the waitinggame anymore!

[Mandylubug]

I do watch my account everyday. I have to. My biggest fear is bouncing a check. The money was in there. She got her money...that's not the issue, the issue I had is that I asked her previously to not cash two checks at once and she said she wouldn't, and I trusted her when she said that, then she turned around and did it again. I don't think that was nice of hetr to do. Of course she has the right to cash them the second she got them, I'm paying her for a service, but now I am broke until a week from friday and that is scarey to me. Thankfully I won't have to deal with this again but I have to say that it makes me trust people even less than I did before and that doesn't make me feel very good. I really really liked this lady before and now, not so much and the reason fo that has nothing ti do with the fact that she cashed both checks today! Actually now that I think about it, I'm glad she cashed d them both so now I don't have to play the waitinggame anymore!

 

mmm kay. I understand you are upset. Having your landlord hold your September payment so long before cashing; and then cashing your October payment at the same time is annoying. I hate writing checks for this very reason. However, you can't judge someone's character and trustworthiness on the fact that YOU prefer her to hold out on payment due her. As a former landlord myself, the MOMENT you gave notice, I would make sure all financial obligations would be squared away. That is good business and she sounds highly competent. It sounds like she was being lenient and giving you ample time for the September payment cash to be in your account. What other reason do you have for not trusting her. Honestly, if you were my tenants and you had asked before "please don't cash the checks that I owe you together even though I know you are due your money" makes you untrustworthy first and foremost.

 

Anyway, sorry for the crummy situation. We are living paycheck to paycheck ourselves and I hate it when I forget about an expense and then have to eat pinto beans and rice for a week plus.

[Guest]

You are making no sense.  You have money in your account (I would hope so, as it isn't smart to write a check if the money isn't there), when you wrote the check.  You should have deducted it from your account right then and there.  Then whatever was left in your account after that is what you have to work off of.  It doesn't matter if she cashed the check that day or a month later...because you should have already deducted the money asap.  The only way you would be "broke" is if you went ahead and wrote another check on the same money you should have already allocated to the rent.  

[Plink]

I think you are confused.  It is impossible to be broke because of a bounced check if you are watching your account every day (as you say you do).  If you know what you have spent, and you leave the money in the account until it is paid, people can cash checks immediately or a year from now without any consequence to you. 

 

Money doesn't spend itself.  Her cashing the old check now is the same as if she cashed it then.   If anything you gained a few cents of interest.  

 

I am sorry you are frustrated, but really, I can't see how this could be her fault by any stretch of the imagination.

[Moxie]

I'm sorry you're having a rough time.

 

Do you use a paper check book register to watch your balance? I don't want to pile on but it does sound like you aren't using your account the right way.

[school17777]

If this is only the second time that she has done this and she hadn't had a chance to cash your Sept check, I would give her the benefit of doubt and assume that she forgot your request to not cash two checks at the same time.  She probably forgot or didn't have the chance to run to the bank to cash your Sept check, so when she got your Oct check, she just took them both with her.  Has she ever had two checks to cash at the same time again after you asked her not to do that?

[readwithem]

Agreeing with the others that if you deduct the amount from your checkbook at the same time you write the check - then you will know you have the amount to cover the check regardless of when the landlord cashes it.

 

Hope your move goes well and that you can settle quickly with your parents!

[idnib]

Are you saying that she used to cash your rent check after your second pay period of the month? So even though your rent was due on the first she would cash it later in the month, giving you about two weeks' float?

 

I'm trying to figure out if you spent the money you should have set aside for the check, or if you had a verbal agreement with her that she would provide this float, knowing she was allowing you to write a check for which you weren't covered, and this month she unexpectedly didn't float you?

[Word Nerd]

Writing bad checks is not just stressful and costly to you when a check bounces, it can lead to civil or criminal charges. If you're keeping your checkbook correctly, you don't have to worry about bouncing a check because the money would already be accounted for whether it's cashed tomorrow or six months from now. (I assume you are not doing that already because you said bouncing a check is your biggest fear, though maybe I'm assuming incorrectly.) Watching your daily balance doesn't help if you aren't also deducting checks that haven't cleared yet from the balance.

 

http://www.statefarm.com/_pdf/tensteps.pdf

[Debbi in Texas]

I see this all the time at the cash register. Some people have gotten into the habit of just checking their balance instead of keeping up with a written register. Then when their card is declined, they don't understand why.

 

So much more accurate to keep a written register.

[Amy in NH]

When I have a large amount to pay and I'm concerned about the money coming out of the account before the check is cashed I hand-deliver cash to pay the bill instead of writing a check.

[Guest inoubliable]

Good thing you're moving in with your parents. 

[8circles]

?? I'm so confused.  Once you write them the check, it's not your money.  If you're broke it isn't their fault.  I have no idea how you're able to twist this around to be their fault.

[Mrs Mungo]

No I'm sorry but I don't have $2000 in my account. She didn't cash my september check until today and she cashed my october check today. As i said, she did this once before and I asked her not to do that again anf she did. She knows I'm on a limited income who has a daughter in her first year of college...she does not need $2000 in one day...these people have money. I feel like she did this to get back at me and yes I think that's rude. Every other time sbe has cashed the current month's check at the middle or end of the month. I had learned to budget around her check cashing history. So no, I don't have $2000 sitting in my checking account.

 

Sorry, no, this is your fault, not your landlord's fault. You paid the rent for September, that money was gone. Then you wrote a check for October. Why write the check, if you couldn't cover it? If you have regular trouble balancing your account and paying your bills (which you DO, by your own description), then you should probably adjust how you do things. 

 

There are lots of ways to manage this. You could get duplicate checks, that way you have a handy record of everything you have written a check for. You could use a system like "You Need a Budget" where you put money in virtual envelopes to remove it from the spending slush fund. You could take out large payments in cash and pay them in person (be sure to get a receipt!). You could pay via money order so the money leaves your account immediately, and you don't forget checks you've written.

 

Sorry, I don't mean to pick on you, but she's been kind to you in the past by letting you (in essence) pay two weeks late. BUT, I can imagine she was worried about getting her money at all since you're moving out at the end of the month. 

 

I'm sorry you are struggling. I'm glad you have somewhere else to go, and I hope you can get a little ahead.  :grouphug:

[Audrey]

But, when you balance your checkbook, you can see that the check is still outstanding. So, you don't spend that money because it's already been 'spent'. 

 

 

Yes. This. Exactly.

 

This is probably the most basic of bookkeeping principles.  You simply do not spend what you already spent... unless you are fond of overdraft notices, I suppose.

[StephanieZ]

I hope you now understand that writing "bad" checks is a serious crime. You can actually go to prison for it. It is not a small thing.

 

When you write a check, you must know that sufficient funds are available. You must leave those funds there until the check is cashed (or cancelled). It isn't OK in any way to spend the money AGAIN if the recipient simply holds the check for a while.

 

You were out of line to ask her not to deposit checks you'd written. That is bonkers. The landlords were probably just being nice, and/or confused by your request and/or embarrassed for you since you'd bounced a check. 

 

Please review legal and ethical use of checking accounts. You are treading on some serious thin ice, and it's obvious from your posts that you have no idea how dangerous this practice is.

 

FWIW, just because someone doesn't need your rent payment the moment they receive it does not mean they can afford to not get it at all. And, FWIW, it is totally irrelevant to your debt. They could be Bill Gates and you'd still owe them just the same. I assume you don't think you can delay payment to your VISA card or the IRS just b/c they have plenty of $$, lol.

[LucyStoner]

You should try mint.com or YNAB.com if a paper register isn't your thing. You have two grown daughters- it's high time you learn to make and follow a monthly budget rather than checking your bank balance daily like a college kid who doesn't balance her checkbook. You know your balance- the bank does not!

[skeeterbug]

I think we are all just wondering how you can say you are 'broke until a week from Friday and that's scary to me' when you knew you'd written those checks. If you'd forgotten about one of them, or thought it had already cleared your account, then we'd all understand more- it would be scary to suddenly realise you have $1000 less than you thought you had. But you knew those checks were outstanding and could go through anytime so you shouldn't be at all surprised. I hope you don't have any more outstanding checks.

 

Agreeing that landlords had every right to cash the checks at the same time despite your previous request. They could have forgotten, but most likely they are just making sure they get their funds and that you hadn't written a bad check before leaving. Landlords get burned all the time.

[WishboneDawn]

I do watch my account everyday. I have to. My biggest fear is bouncing a check. The money was in there. She got her money...that's not the issue, the issue I had is that I asked her previously to not cash two checks at once and she said she wouldn't, and I trusted her when she said that, then she turned around and did it again. I don't think that was nice of hetr to do. Of course she has the right to cash them the second she got them, I'm paying her for a service, but now I am broke until a week from friday and that is scarey to me. Thankfully I won't have to deal with this again but I have to say that it makes me trust people even less than I did before and that doesn't make me feel very good. I really really liked this lady before and now, not so much and the reason fo that has nothing ti do with the fact that she cashed both checks today! Actually now that I think about it, I'm glad she cashed d them both so now I don't have to play the waitinggame anymore!

She either made a mistake and forgot your previous conversation or was making sure things were settled before you left.

 

That you are willing to toss aside the weight of years of a good relationship and judge her on one incident that is your issue, not hers, says something about you, not her. That you think this somehow says anything about the trustworthiness of people in general is bizarre.

[MissKNG]

Um, if you were renting from my family (who have been landlords for over 40 years), not only would you get hit with a "returned check" fee but also a late charge if your rent ended up late because of your NSF. When rent is due and paid, your check better be good. It's not the landlord's fault.

 

ETA: Oh yeah...and if you didn't pay for all money owed because of your NSF, you would be taken to small claims court for all money owed AND court fees.

 

(Sorry, no sympathy here, it was your fault.)

[amo_mea_filiis.]

LL did nothing wrong. It doesn't matter that they "don't need the money" in any way. Their financials are none of your business.

[Wheres Toto]

I'm not sure I understand.  You paid your rent for September but she didn't cash the check until after she received your check for October?  So both checks went through at the same time.  You said the checks were covered (she got her money) but you also said you got an overdraft fee?  Is the problem that you paid your rent on time, but you didn't really expect her to deposit the checks for a week or so, since that's what happened in the past?  When is the rent actually due?  If it's due the first, it doesn't matter what she does normally, it has to be available for her to cash on the first.  If your rent isn't due on the first, then you should have post-dated or waited on sending, the check.

 

I understand being on a limited budget and getting in a habit based on how things usually work (you have an automatic draft on the 15th but you know it never really comes out until the 16th, so you come to expect that extra day).  Unfortunately its not something you should rely on because it can change at any time.

[Guest submarines]

No I'm sorry but I don't have $2000 in my account. She didn't cash my september check until today and she cashed my october check today. As i said, she did this once before and I asked her not to do that again anf she did. She knows I'm on a limited income who has a daughter in her first year of college...she does not need $2000 in one day...these people have money. I feel like she did this to get back at me and yes I think that's rude. Every other time sbe has cashed the current month's check at the middle or end of the month. I had learned to budget around her check cashing history. So no, I don't have $2000 sitting in my checking account.

 

You can never assume what other people's financial responsibilities are and how much money the have or "need." We are landlords, and our tenant assumed exactly that. She's a self-employed single mom, and she thinks that because we are "landlords" and have a car, and DH is a high paying professional, that we don't need rent on time.

 

But guess what. We are a one income family, with students loans, two mortgages and 3 kids. We absolutely do need her rent money on time because it goes directly to cover the mortgage. I had to actually explain this to her, that the income that we have from the rental is absolutely not our candy money that we can get whenever. 

 

I know only too well what it means not to have enough money in my checking account, and it is difficult for me to balance my checkbook when my checks are not cashed on time. However, if my check bounces, it is my fault. It is you who has an attitude of entitlement, not the other way around. 

[Lady Florida.]

It sounds as though you don't truly understand how to balance a checking account. It was much easier in the days before debit cards when most people kept a check register up-to-date, but it still needs to be done. The link Word Nerd gave is a good one to get you started, as well as some of the programs others mentioned.

 

The landlord did nothing wrong. If you had balanced your account correctly it would have shown that money as being gone regardless of when she cashed the checks. You say you keep a close watch on your account, but do you mean that you check the balance online? That balance doesn't reflect any outstanding checks or debit purchases. That's why it's important to keep a record of them, rather than relying on what the bank says is in your account.

[Lady Florida.]

Very good explanation. I have a feeling that's what the OP does, otherwise she would have known exactly how much she had available.

 

Ok, here I am going to put numbers to this, because I do things like your landlord does all the time.  I typically have lots of checks before I put them in.  The problem is you are counting on the online account to tell you how much money you have.  You need to use the register that is with your checkbook to MANUALLY figure out how much money you have. 

 

So your checkbook register says that you have 1,567 dollars on September 1st.  So  you write your check for 1,000 and so you have 567 in your register.  You KNOW that is how much you have.  You then spend 200 dollars in groceries later in the month, so you have 367 in your register.  You have car repairs for 200 dollars and so now you have 167.  You then get a packcheck for 1,000.  So now you have 1, 167.  It is now Oct 1 and you pay your 1,000 and you have 167 dollars in your account.  You know exactly how much you have.  

 

Your problem is that you do something like this.  Now if she hasn't taken out the September check then if you check online let us say September and what YOU see is 1, 167.  That is how much you think you have in there because you haven't done the paper register.  So then you buy something for 200 dollars.  WRONG.  The money isn't there, even if it says so online!!!  Once you write the check, IT IS GONE.  You have no right to the money anymore.  Pretend you have handed the money to the person. 

 

Even moving to your parents, you REALLY need this life skill.  PLEASE start writing every single check you write in your register and subtracting it IMMEDIATLY.  Otherwise you will be bouncing a lot of checks.  Many, many people don't put in checks right away.  In our case, hubby's paychecks are automatically deposited, so I don't go by the bank all that often. 

 

I hope that helps!!!

 

[Moxie]

Guys, I don't think she's going to respond and we've all pretty much said the same thing.

[Miss Mousie]

Why not post date one of the checks? I'm not getting how this is the landlord's fault either. If you can't cover a cheque, you protect yourself by not writing it or post dating it.

 

Your landlord may have just had a bad moment and forgot about what you told her but in your situation is be angry with myself, not the landlord.

 

I doubt the OP will come back to this thread, but just in case - I believe postdating a check is just as illegal as writing a bad check.

 

If you don't have the money, don't write the check.  Period.