West Virginia Code § 46-4A-207

Misdescription of beneficiary
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(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, 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.
(b) 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:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, 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; or
(2) If the beneficiary's bank pays the person identiflied by name or knows that the name and
number identify different persons, no person hsas 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 persoin has rights as beneficiary, acceptance of the
order cannot occur. g
(c) If a payment order described in subsection (b) of this section is accepted, the originator's
payment order described the beneficiary inconsistently by name and number, and the
beneficiary's bank pays the person identified by number as permitted by subdivision (1),
subsection (b) of this section, the following rules apply:
(1) If the originator i s a bank, the originator is obliged to pay its order; or
(2) 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.
(d) In a case governed by subdivision (1), subsection (b) of this section, 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:
(1) If the originator is obliged to pay its payment order as stated in subsection (c) of this
section, the originator has the right to recover; or
(2) 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.

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