Crossing a cheque[broken link removed]
As mentioned above, the negotiability of a cheque has been progressively reduced in recent years. Crossing a cheque further reduces negotiability. Legally, it's a bit complex. If an uncrossed cheque issued by Mr A is payable to Mr B, and he endorses it and gives it to you, and the cheque later bounces, then you can seek payment from either Mr A or Mr B. If the cheque was crossed, your rights here would be less, depending upon the precise nature of the crossing. Our advice: don't cash a crossed cheque; and definitely don't cash a cheque with a further limiting crossing e.g. a cheque crossed with the words "account payee only".