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This entry was published on 2014-09-22
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SECTION 4-A-207
Misdescription of Beneficiary
Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) CHAPTER 38, ARTICLE 4-A, PART 2
Section 4-A-207. Misdescription of Beneficiary.

(1) Subject to subsection (2), if, in a payment order received by the
beneficiary's bank, the name, bank account number, or other
identification of the beneficiary refers to a nonexistent or
unidentifiable person or account, no person has rights as a beneficiary
of the order and acceptance of the order cannot occur.

(2) If a payment order received by the beneficiary's bank identifies
the beneficiary both by name and by an identifying or bank account
number and the name and number identify different persons, the following
rules apply:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), if the

beneficiary's bank does not know that the name and number

refer to different persons, it may rely on the number as the

proper identification of the beneficiary of the order. The

beneficiary's bank need not determine whether the name and

number refer to the same person.

(b) If the beneficiary's bank pays the person identified by name

or knows that the name and number identify different persons,

no person has rights as beneficiary except the person paid by

the beneficiary's bank if that person was entitled to receive

payment from the originator of the funds transfer. If no

person has rights as beneficiary, acceptance of the order

cannot occur.

(3) If (i) a payment order described in subsection (2) is accepted,
(ii) the originator's payment order described the beneficiary
inconsistently by name and number, and (iii) the beneficiary's bank pays
the person identified by number as permitted by paragraph (a) of
subsection (2), the following rules apply:

(a) If the originator is a bank, the originator is obliged to pay

its order.

(b) If the originator is not a bank and proves that the person

identified by number was not entitled to receive payment from

the originator, the originator is not obliged to pay its

order unless the originator's bank proves that the

originator, before acceptance of the originator's order, had

notice that payment of a payment order issued by the

originator might be made by the beneficiary's bank on the

basis of an identifying or bank account number even if it

identifies a person different from the named beneficiary.

Proof of notice may be made by any admissible evidence. The

originator's bank satisfies the burden of proof if it proves

that the originator, before the payment order was accepted,

signed a writing stating the information to which the notice

relates.

(4) In a case governed by paragraph (a) of subsection (2), if the
beneficiary's bank rightfully pays the person identified by number and
that person was not entitled to receive payment from the originator, the
amount paid may be recovered from that person to the extent allowed by
the law governing mistake and restitution as follows:

(a) If the originator is obliged to pay its payment order as

stated in subsection (3), the originator has the right to

recover.

(b) If the originator is not a bank and is not obliged to pay its

payment order, the originator's bank has the right to

recover.