Tales Of The Citi: Now They're Bouncing Checks

I live in a Lembi crime family apartment (355 Fulton) & was wondering if there is an updated list of properties they've lost. The rumor in the building is that they lost it but will still manage it for the time being.

Don't wait to deposit it. If it bounces, you're entitled to damages and can take them to small claims court and get an extra $1500 from them:

http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/badchex.php

"California Civil Code section 1719 allows the receiver of a bad check to recover three times the amount of the check, up to $1500, in civil court if sufficient notice is mailed or delivered to the person who wrote the check. The damages are in addition to collecting the value of the check and they could include court and mailing costs. A cause of action under this law may be brought in small claims court, if the claim does not exceed $5,000, or in any other court of jurisdiction depending on the amount of the transaction."

Plus, the extra civil actions against them will probably help the city build another case... I'm sure any decade now San Francisco will stop 'researching' and finally file charges.

Can't you take the check to the bank that issued it for guaranteed cash, or failing that at least a risk-free confirmation that it's bad? Or is this an urban legend?

That is what they did. As noted in the article:

"We were instructed/asked not to cash the check until after 5 p.m. today because the funds were being transferred this afternoon...After some hassles at the bank, our stalwart reader was able to leave CitiApartment's bank with the cash owed."

I was distracted by the all the bold stuff right above that part.