Is Cash No Longer Legal Tender?

An anonymous reader asks: "I attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. Last semester my housing arrangements went smoothly. I put down my application fee, and my deposit just fine, got a room for the semester and life went on. This semester, because there was supposedly a large number of students who did not check into their rooms last semester, we were required to make a $100 prepayment, in addition to the application fee and deposit. No problem, I think, I see the university is trying to make a quick buck off people who don't follow through with their plans. Now I do NOT have a checking account, a credit card, or anything. I don't trust the banks, or the credit card companies, so I am one of the few people who do EVERYTHING in cash. However, they refused to take the cash. Is it legal for a state-owned university, let alone any business to not take legal tender?"

The housing department also will not charge my university account (so I can pay the bursar or whoever I need to) in cash, and they want a check or money order. Nowhere in their letter did they say that. I fear out of technicality I am going to loose my housing since I cannot get them their money on time because they do not take cash.

What can I do?"

Re:Jesus Christ

[QuantumG]

Do you honestly are telling us that you'd rather *lose* your housing than open a checking account and put $100 in it?

Don't be stupid, RMS would never submit an Ask Slashdot.

Trust

[jfroot]

So let me get this straight, you don't trust the banks so much that you make your life clearly more difficult, but you're willing to trust advice from a bunch of geeks on Slashdot? Maybe we're all out to get you too!

I'd avoid cash as well

[91degrees]

I mean all a dollar is is a promise of payment from the US teasury - essentially a big bank. Do all your dealing in precious metals.

Re:Payment of Debt

[Enderandrew]

"Luckily the UK is a bit smarter"

A bit? Don't be modest.

Re:Wow...

[Anonymous Coward]

Although I guess if a person doesn't trust banks then why entrust your money to the government or quasi-government agencies.

Probably not the brightest idea to go to a state-owned university in that case either.
 

Re:In some cases....

[SharpFang]

Then bring them the requested amount (+-3%) in pennies. "I can be an asshole too, sir."

Re:Wow...

[ajs318]

So, knock the transaction fee off whatever you pay them. This is what I used to do when paying bills at a post office that charge a transaction fee. If the bill was for £26, and they ended up getting only £24.50 due to the £1.50 transaction fee, that's their problem (and they aren't going to chase anybody up for a lousy quid fifty; it'll cost them more than that in ink just printing the address on the envelope). See how they like being charged a fee! If enough people do it, the system will change.

By the way, when paying bills by means of a cheque in the post, never, ever put a stamp on the envelope. Just write "RECIPIENT TO PAY POSTAGE" on it. BT used to write "Royal Mail will not deliver unstamped items" in the "stamp" space on their envelopes. I used to write "Oh yes they will!"

I buy my Tinfoil hats with CASH!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

OMG where is the conspiracy theory shop? Word is it only accepts cash...

Re:Do you trust the Federal Reserve ?

[the_humeister]

They didn't accept my cow either. And I don't like paying in cash and that's why I always carry a cow with me. What do I do?

Re:I'd avoid cash as well

[Anonymous Coward]

Precious metals? Not usually. I only barter in items that have intrinsic value.

This reminds me, I too had trouble putting down a deposit for my college dorm room back in 1999. Would you believe that they wouldn't take beaver pelts? I even threw in some iron pots and a musket. They treated me like I was crazy! Does no one take beaver pelts as legal barter anymore!?

I work at the IRS

[Anonymous Coward]

Posting anon, for obvious reasons.

Back in the day, we had a pissed off taxpayer and his wife bring in several thousand dollars in pennies. At the time, we had real teller functions in most cities and they took their money-handling chores seriously and by-the-book. All cash payments were *required* (no exceptions) to be counted out twice in the presence of the person paying.

The manager saw the situation, got approval to put a teller on overtime, and started counting. They stressed to the taxpayers that they *must* remain present during the count. This was fairly early in the morning. After a few hours, some things began to change. Everytime the taxpayer needed to go to the bathroom, the count had to stop and everyone left the room. No lunch. No breaks.

Asshole taxpayer got bored. Then he got tired and cranky. Then he and his wife got into it. A screaming match ensued with the wife berating her husband for his stupid idea. "Yeah, you really showed them, didn't you?!" By that evening, she ripped the car keys out of his hand and left, telling him he could get a cab home. This was in a large, non-compact city with poor public transport and, at the time, only a shell of a taxi system. Telling him to catch a cab home was the equivalent of telling him to burn in hell.

Around midnight, the count finished. The jerk was shellshocked. He called a cab and proceeded to go stand out by the highway and wait for it. I don't know if it ever came.

I feel certain, however, that Mr. Idiot never tried another stunt like that.

Re:Do you trust the Federal Reserve ?

[ji777]

They didn't accept my cow either. And I don't like paying in cash and that's why I always carry a cow with me. What do I do?

Exchange the cow for some magic beans and try those.

Re:Wow...

[Damvan]

When I graduated college, they initially refused to give me my diploma because I had a CREDIT on their system of about $10. I had to wait 3 weeks for them to cut me a check for that $10, only then could I collect my actual paper diploma. I guarentee you that they would withhold that diploma/registration etc for a balance due of $1.50.

Re:I work at the IRS

[Anonymous Coward]

You know what they call people who think income tax is voluntary?

Prisoners.

Re:Really BAD Idea

[The One and Only]

You pick up a dollar off the street. Do you report it on your income tax? No? You're a tax evader!

Re:Making change

[AragornSonOfArathorn]

No, they just don't know how to properly accept bovine-based payment. Any competent cash cow-accepting business will have a cleaver behind the register they can use to carve out an appropriately sized chunk for payment. You just have to remember to bring a wagon with you to transport your remaining amount of cow if they have to cut off more than one leg.

Re:I work at the IRS

[jimbolaya]

So, um, what'd he use to pay for the cab?