New York Laws
Part 1 - Short Title, Form and Interpretation
3-110 - Payable to Order.

(1) An instrument is payable to order when by its terms it is payable
to the order or assigns of any person therein specified with reasonable
certainty, or to him or his order, or when it is conspicuously
designated on its face as "exchange" or the like and names a payee. It
may be payable to the order of
(a) the maker or drawer; or
(b) the drawee; or
(c) a payee who is not maker, drawer or drawee; or
(d) two or more payees together or in the alternative; or
(e) an estate, trust or fund, in which case it is payable to the
order of the representative of such estate, trust or fund or
his successors; or
(f) an office, or an officer by his title as such in which case
it is payable to the principal but the incumbent of the
office or his successors may act as if he or they were the
holder; or
(g) a partnership or unincorporated association, in which case it
is payable to the partnership or association and may be
indorsed or transferred by any person thereto authorized.
(2) An instrument not payable to order is not made so payable by such
words as "payable upon return of this instrument properly indorsed."
(3) An instrument made payable both to order and to bearer is payable
to order unless the bearer words are handwritten or typewritten.

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