N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code Law § 3-110: Payable to Order

Section 3--110. Payable to Order.

(1) An instrument is payable to order when by its terms it is payable

to the order or assigns of any person therein specified with reasonable

certainty, or to him or his order, or when it is conspicuously

designated on its face as "exchange" or the like and names a payee. It

may be payable to the order of

(a) the maker or drawer; or

(b) the drawee; or

(c) a payee who is not maker, drawer or drawee; or

(d) two or more payees together or in the alternative; or

(e) an estate, trust or fund, in which case it is payable to the

order of the representative of such estate, trust or fund or

his successors; or

(f) an office, or an officer by his title as such in which case

it is payable to the principal but the incumbent of the

office or his successors may act as if he or they were the

holder; or

(g) a partnership or unincorporated association, in which case it

is payable to the partnership or association and may be

indorsed or transferred by any person thereto authorized.

(2) An instrument not payable to order is not made so payable by such

words as "payable upon return of this instrument properly indorsed."

(3) An instrument made payable both to order and to bearer is payable

to order unless the bearer words are handwritten or typewritten.