Personal Finance (Not Investing) • Estranged Relative Needs Me To Sign a Check

I have an estranged relative who has sold something, I am presuming investment assets, and the check they received is made out to me and them.

They are asking for my help (via a call I sent to voicemail) depositing the check since the bank will not deposit it without both signatures on it.

I am not interested in participating, helping, or communicating with the relative.

I have no idea why my name would be on the check. I can only think that perhaps I was listed as a beneficiary and for some reason that has filtered down to the check despite the relative still being alive. (So this isn't an estate question.) I have never signed up for an account with this person.

To keep this within forum rules, my questions:
1. Am I legally obligated to sign?
2. If I do not sign, what other options does this relative have (e.g. getting the institution who wrote the check to fix it and resend it, etc.)? My fear is by not participating, a bigger conflict erupts and I'd like to understand what other options they have that don't involve me.
3. How is this possible to have my name involved on an account that isn't mine and I am unaware of?

Statistics: Posted by k3vb0t — Mon May 20, 2024 12:54 pm — Replies 31 — Views 1424

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