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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69237</law_id><section_number>8.4-401</section_number><catch_line>When bank may charge customer&amp;#8217;s account</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.3A-113</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.4">Commercial Code &#x2014; Bank Deposits and Collections</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Relationship Between Payor Bank and Its Customer</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> A <span class="dictionary">bank</span> may charge against the account of a customer an item that is properly payable from that account even though the charge creates an overdraft. An item is properly payable if it is authorized by the customer and is in accordance with any agreement between the customer and the <span class="dictionary">bank</span>. <a id="paragraph-250510" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-401/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> A customer is not liable for the amount of an overdraft if the customer neither signed the item nor benefited from the proceeds of the item. <a id="paragraph-250511" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-401/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> A <span class="dictionary">bank</span> may charge against the account of a customer a check that is otherwise properly payable from the account, even though payment was made before the date of the check, unless the customer has given notice to the <span class="dictionary">bank</span> of the postdating describing the check with reasonable certainty. The notice is effective for the period stated in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Customer's right to stop payment; burden of proof of loss" href="/8.4-403/">8.4-403</a> (b) for stop-payment <span class="dictionary">orders</span>, and must be received at such time and in such manner as to afford the <span class="dictionary">bank</span> a reasonable opportunity to act on it before the <span class="dictionary">bank</span> takes any action with respect to the check described in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="When items subject to notice, stop-payment order, legal process or setoff; order in which items may be charged or certified" href="/8.4-303/">8.4-303</a>. If a <span class="dictionary">bank</span> charges against the account of a customer a check before the date stated in the notice of postdating, the <span class="dictionary">bank</span> is liable for <span class="dictionary">damages</span> for the loss resulting from its act. The loss may include <span class="dictionary">damages</span> for dishonor of subsequent items under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Bank's liability to customer for wrongful dishonor; time of determining insufficiency of account" href="/8.4-402/">8.4-402</a>. <a id="paragraph-250512" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-401/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> A <span class="dictionary">bank</span> that in good faith makes payment to a holder may charge the indicated account of its customer according to: <a id="paragraph-250513" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-401/#d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> the original terms of the altered item; or <a id="paragraph-250514" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-401/#d1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> the terms of the completed item, even though the <span class="dictionary">bank</span> knows the item has been completed unless the <span class="dictionary">bank</span> has notice that the completion was improper. <a id="paragraph-250515" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.4-401/#d2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1964, c. 219; 1992, c. 693.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
