Billings Theft Suspect Tice Had Previous Problems With Worthless Checks

August 9, 2009

ticehenry2.jpgHenry “Cab” Tice has been named a “person of interest” in the murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings, and he was  arrested last week on grand theft for writing $17,342.51 in worthless checks to the Billings’ family company Worldo Financial Services.

But NorthEscambia.com has learned it was not the first time that Tice had problems with vehicle financing and bad checks. In August 1999, Tice gave numerous checks totaling $174,000 written on an AmSouth bank account to Dan Jaquish, who Tice described as his “best friend” and business associate. At the time, Jacquish was a wholesaler and retailer of used vehicles under the name of “Auto Outlet”.

The checks written by Tice on his business account were made payable to “Auto Outlet” and were, according to Tice, security for a loan Jaquish had made to Tice. Jaquish was to hold the checks and cash them later, according to court documents. Tice claimed that he made other payment arrangements on the loan, and both agreed that Tice would issue a stop payment at AmSouth on the loan security checks.

ticecourt.jpgTice went to an AmSouth branch and placed a written stop-payment order on the checks to Auto Outlet. The stop payment orders expired, under AmSouth’s terms, in six months.

Almost two years later, Jaquish, or someone acting on his behalf, presented the checks for payment at Amsouth on May 18, 2001, according to court records. After paying the old checks, Tice’s account was overdrawn, causing AmSouth to return six checks totaling over $95,000 payable to Manheim’s, an automobile auction company with which Tice did business. Tice claimed that because of the bad checks, he was blacklisted by Manheim’s and other automobile auction companies.

On August 23, 2002, Manheim’s obtained a judgment against Tice in the amount of $148,957.75 — the amount of the bad checks plus interest and attorney’s fees.

Tice sued AmSouth, claiming they should have never paid the checks written to Jaquish. A jury awarded Tice $52,206.75 for his expenses and $290,000 for mental anguish. AmSouth appealed, and the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s findings.

Click here to read the entire Alabama Supreme Court case (pdf).

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