§ 4402. Liability of bank to customer for wrongful dishonor;
time of determining insufficiency of account.
(a) Wrongful dishonor.--Except as otherwise provided in this division, a payor bank wrongfully dishonors an item if it dishonors an item that is properly payable, but a bank may dishonor an item that would create an overdraft unless it has agreed to pay the overdraft.
(b) Liability of bank.--A payor bank is liable to its customer for damages proximately caused by the wrongful dishonor of an item. Liability is limited to actual damages proved and may include damages for an arrest or prosecution of the customer or other consequential damages. Whether any consequential damages are proximately caused by the wrongful dishonor is a question of fact to be determined in each case.
(c) Determination of bank.--A payor bank's determination of the customer's account balance on which a decision to dishonor for insufficiency of available funds is based may be made at any time between the time the item is received by the payor bank and the time that the payor bank returns the item or gives notice in lieu of return, and no more than one determination need be made. If, at the election of the payor bank, a subsequent balance determination is made for the purpose of reevaluating the bank's decision to dishonor the item, the account balance at that time is determinative of whether a dishonor for insufficiency of available funds is wrongful. (July 9, 1992, P.L.507, No.97, eff. one year)
Cross References. Section 4402 is referred to in sections 4401, 4403 of this title.
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 44 - Relationship Between Payor Bank and Its Customer
Section 4401 - When bank may charge account of customer
Section 4403 - Right of customer to stop payment; burden of proof of loss
Section 4404 - Bank not obligated to pay check more than six months old
Section 4405 - Death or incapacity of customer
Section 4406 - Duty of customer to discover and report unauthorized signature or alteration
Section 4407 - Right of payor bank to subrogation on improper payment