Regulation J
Subpart A--Collection of Checks and Other Items By Federal Reserve Banks
Sec. 210.5 Sender's agreement; recovery by Reserve Bank.
(a) Sender's agreement. The warranties, authorizations, and
agreements made pursuant to this paragraph may not be disclaimed and
are made whether or not the item bears an indorsement of the sender. By
sending an item to a Reserve Bank, the sender does all of the
following.
(1) Authorization to handle item. The sender authorizes the
sender's administrative Reserve Bank and any other Reserve Bank or
collecting bank to which the item is sent to handle the item (and
authorizes any Reserve Bank that handles settlement for the item to
make accounting entries), subject to this subpart and to the Reserve
Banks' operating circulars, and warrants its authority to give this
authorization.
(2) Warranties for all items. The sender warrants to each Reserve
Bank handling the item that--
(i) The sender is a person entitled to enforce the item or
authorized to obtain payment of the item on behalf of a person entitled
to enforce the item;
(ii) The item has not been altered; and
(iii) The item bears all indorsements applied by parties that
previously handled the item, in paper or electronic form, for forward
collection or return.
(3) Warranties for all electronic items. The sender makes all the
warranties set forth in and subject to the terms of 4-207 of the U.C.C.
for an electronic item as if it were an item subject to the U.C.C. and
makes the warranties set forth in and subject to the terms of Sec.
229.34(c) of this chapter for an electronic item as if it were a check
subject to that section.
Effective July 1, 2006, paragraph (3) will read as follows:
(3) Warranties for all electronic items. The sender makes all the warranties set
forth in and subject to the terms of 4–207 of the U.C.C. for an electronic item as if it were
an item subject to the U.C.C. and makes the warranties set forth in and subject to the
terms of § 229.34(c) and (d) of this chapter for an electronic item as if it were a check
subject to that section.
(4) Warranties for electronic items that are not representations of
substitute checks. If an electronic item is not a representation of a
substitute check, the sender of that item warrants to each Reserve Bank
handling the item that--
(i) The electronic image portion of the item accurately represents
all of the information on the front and back of the original check as
of the time that the original check was truncated; the information
portion of the item contains a record of all MICR-line information
required for a substitute check under Sec. 229.2(aaa) of this chapter; and the item conforms to the
technical standards for an electronic item set forth in an operating
circular; and
(ii) No person will receive a transfer, presentment, or return of,
or otherwise be charged for, the electronic item, the original item, or
a paper or electronic representation of the original item such that the
person will be asked to make payment based on an item it already has
paid.
(5) Sender's liability to Reserve Bank. (i) Except as provided in
paragraph (a)(5)(ii) of this section, the sender agrees to indemnify
each Reserve Bank for any loss or expense sustained (including
attorneys' fees and expenses of litigation) resulting from--
(A) The sender's lack of authority to make the warranty in
paragraph (a)(1) of this section;
(B) Any action taken by the Reserve Bank within the scope of its
authority in handling the item; or
(C) Any warranty or indemnity made by the Reserve Bank under Sec.
210.6(b) of this subpart, part 229 of this chapter, or the U.C.C.
(ii) A sender's liability for warranties and indemnities that the
Reserve Bank makes for a substitute check, a paper or electronic
representation thereof, or any other electronic item is subject to the
following conditions and limitations--
(A) A sender of an original check shall not be liable under
paragraph (a)(5)(i) of this section for any amount that the Reserve
Bank pays under subpart D of part 229 of this chapter or under Sec.
210.6(b)(3) of this subpart, absent the sender's agreement to the
contrary;
(B) Nothing in this subpart alters the liability of a sender of a
substitute check or paper or electronic representation of a substitute
check under subpart D of part 229 of this chapter; and
(C) A sender of an electronic item that is not a representation of
a substitute check shall not be liable for any amount that the Reserve
Bank pays under subpart D of part 229 of this chapter or Sec.
210.6(b)(3)(ii) of this subpart that is attributable to the Reserve
Bank's own lack of good faith or failure to exercise ordinary care.
(b) Sender's liability under other law. Nothing in paragraph (a) of
this section limits any warranty or indemnity by a sender (or a person
that handled an item prior to the sender) arising under state law or
regulation (such as the U.C.C.), other federal law or regulation (such
as part 229 of this chapter), or an agreement with a Reserve Bank.
(c) Methods of recovery. (1) The Reserve Bank may recover the amount stated in paragraph (b) of this section by charging any account on its books that is maintained or used by the sender (or by charging a Reserve Bank sender), if—
(i) The Reserve Bank made seasonable written demand on the sender to assume defense of the action or proceeding; and
(ii) The sender has not made any other arrangement for payment that is acceptable to the Reserve Bank.
(2) The Reserve Bank is not responsible for defending the action or proceeding before using this method of recovery. A Reserve Bank that has been charged under this paragraph (c) may recover from its sender in the manner and under the circumstances set forth in this paragraph (c). A Reserve Bank's failure to avail itself of the remedy provided in this paragraph (c) does not prejudice its enforcement in any other manner of the indemnity agreement referred to in paragraph (a)(3) of this section.
(3) Any warranty or indemnity made by the Reserve Bank under
section 210.6(b) of this subpart, part 229 of this chapter, or the
U.C.C.,
(d) Security interest. When a sender sends an item to a Reserve Bank, the sender and any prior collecting bank grant to the sender's Administrative Reserve Bank a security interest in all of their respective assets in the possession of, or held for the account of, any Reserve Bank to secure their respective obligations due or to become due to the Administrative Reserve Bank under this subpart or subpart C of part 229 of this chapter (Regulation CC). The security interest attaches when a warranty is breached or any other obligation to the Reserve Bank is incurred. If the Reserve Bank, in its sole discretion, deems itself insecure and gives notice thereof to the sender or prior collecting bank, or if the sender or prior collecting bank suspends payments or is closed, the Reserve Bank may take any action authorized by law to recover the amount of an obligation, including, but not limited to, the exercise of rights of set off, the realization on any available collateral, and any other rights it may have as a creditor under applicable law.
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