This person was told that they put holds on large checks to make sure that they clear. What more should the manager have to do? I would imagine that the example of the Title company going out of business was done in good spirits, not in a sarcastic tone. In that case, I actually think it's a good example to back up what he already stated multiple times - that they put a hold on large checks to verify that they clear.

I would NEVER expect a bank to cash that large of a check and just hand it back over to me in cash right there.