Reply #6: My advice:

[RoeBear]

"I refuse to pay that $25 to them on principle. If I pay it, I will be admitting guilt."

Technically you are guilty, after all the payment never got to them.

But take your check book down to them. Show them your check register proving that you wrote it before Sept 10th. Hopefully that will be enough to convince them to drop the late charge. Then write them another check. I, personally, would not do a stop payment. If someone stole the check they would have cashed it already. But cashing a check written out to a business is not easy to do. Eventually the check will show up (stuck between your car seats?:P )