Firstly, TURN YOUR CAPS off! You don't have to shout!

A change of name would be good.

I think you're doomed.

Uhhh...okay, I'll try to actually answer his question. I am guessing that you have been entered into Chexsystems' database (or Telecheck, whoever your bank used...we'll assume Chexsystems). There are things you can TRY to get out of their database and open up a checking account. You can pull a free report from Chexsystems just like you can from Experian or Equifax. Once you have the report, then you can try contacting the account holder and asking them to settle the account. It will probably involve you offering to pay a penalty on top of the original amounts owed on the bounced checks. Your goal is to get the item removed, but, failing that, paying it will look better when you try to open an account. I've got more details on how to do that here: http://creditreportscrub.blogspot.com/search/label/Chexsystems If that fails, you can try to locate a bank that does not use Chexsystems by checking out this list: http://www.chexsystemsvictims.com/AboutmyList.html If you can't get out of Chexsystems' dtatbase, you are in for a rough ride until the 5 year reporting timeframe is up. If you feel like you might not be able to survive financially, then it might be worth your while to contact a bankruptcy attorney and see what your options are.