Found money...what would you do?

motown13

OK, so my answer is really more than one answer...

I was once in a parking lot on a windy day and I saw something on the ground rolling towards me.... it was a roll of money with a rubber band around it. It was $290.... I kept it.... My reasoning was it was in a parking lot, so where would I turn it into? Any of the 300 stores? Somebody else would just take it. I guess I could have given it to a police station, but I bet somebody there would have just taken it too.

Now, let's say I found a wallet with an ID with $11,000 in it...... no doubt in my mind that I would turn that in or try to get it back to the owner on my own.

BTW, my wife was once in an airport the day after a Bruce Springsteen concert in Philly..... She found a wallet on the floor, and she opened it up and it was Clarence Clemmons' wallet.... She looked around and actually saw him, and gave it back to him.... According to my wife, he did say Thank You, but was so nonchalant about it that she said it was weird.... Like he said " Oh, thank you.... and then immediately turned away.

Not that she expected a reward or anything, but just a little more feeling of gratitude from him. She said he seemed like a robot.

Hellbent_Heidi

On a girls trip to London about 10 years ago, one of my friends left her purse in a taxi...a lot of cash, all of her credit cards, all her jewelry and passport were in it. It was returned untouched, so I think I'd feel somewhat obligated to do the same for a tourist in our country....even though $11K would sure be a huge help!

I don't have a history of good luck, but I believe it would be bad karma to keep it...and karma is a ***** :grumble:

Phaedra2014

I just read about a couple who found a camera bag by the Golden Gate bridge. Inside, along with the camera, was just over $11,000 in cash. The couple turned in the bag and the owners (tourists from out of the country) where found and the money returned. Would you turn it in? Is there an amount that would make you reconsider turning it in?

I would be tempted to keep it but I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did so, yeah, I'd return it.

Ivian_

My dad found a gym bag with about $25k in it, as well as other personal belongings, at Wonderland station in MA YEAS ago. He had sat down at a bench and noticed something tucked underneath. When it was obvious it didn't belong to anyone, he grabbed it. At first, he thought it could be an explosive so he was reallllyyy careful in opening it :laugh: That's when he saw the amount of cash inside. There were also shoes, a towel, a walkman (it was YEARS ago), and some other gym stuff but no ID. He didn't feel right keeping it so he sat there, with the bag in his lap, waiting to see if someone would come back for it for hours. Finally some younger looking guy walks up to him, frantic, claiming that was his bag. So my dad asked him to verify what was in the bag, in as much detail as possible and when he did, he handed it over. Apparently there is, or was, a dog track in that area and the guy had won big. My dad said that guy thanked him like a billion times, offered him money, asked to pay his train ticket, offered dinner, even his watch, which was supposedly an expensive one. But my dad declined. He just hopped on the next train and went home.

My dad is a MUCH better person than me. :laugh:

Missjulesdid

I found $800.00 on the floor of the fast food place where I was working. I was 19 and struggling and very tempted to keep it BUT I turned it in to my boss.. and the owner of the money came for it and was mad because he said he had a grand in there and I must have taken $200. He tried to get me fired for stealing his money... he called the police and everything. No good deed goes unpunished.

Countryboy_

Return it. Keeping it is theft and I am not that kind of person.

I agree that turning it in is the right thing to do...

But how do you figure keeping it is theft? If someone just leaves something lying around, what says i can't pick it up if I want it?

Because it doesn't belong to you. The local Audi dealership has cars just "lying around" on the lot, and I WANT an A5...can I just go to the dealership and take it?

If its on their lot, no. If the camera bag was on someone's yard, or in their car, or something like that..you are correct. If it is something lying around in public, with no identifying marks and no way to track it...it is not a crime to take it. At least, not where I live. I was a police officer for 10 years and have been involved in investigations and law enforcement for 15 more, and I cannot think of a single thing you could charge someone with for keeping that bag.

Owlie45

Return it. Keeping it is theft and I am not that kind of person.

I agree that turning it in is the right thing to do...

But how do you figure keeping it is theft? If someone just leaves something lying around, what says i can't pick it up if I want it?

Because there's a 30 day wait period while you are trying to find the owner if the people hadn't claimed the money it would then go to who found it. Perfect example are dogs, in the eyes of the law they are property. If you find a dog you ofcourse can hand it over to a shelter, but if you choose to hold on to it. You cannot claim ownership for 30 days. If on day 28 the owner shows up you cant say no. Well you can but cops can be called.

christabeltoria

I'd take anything more than a twenty straight to the cops.

dferrara

I have run into this situation before, have always returned the money and have never regretted it. I sleep like a baby at night and I like the person I've become. I've also found that Karma has a way of paying back good deeds 100x over. I've run into a lot of good people in my life who've helped me out when I needed it. I can't conceive of a life lived any other way. I feel sad for the people who would keep the money as a matter of course. You're missing out.

__RANDY__

If there was identification of the person that lost it, then I would get a hold of them.

If not, IT'S MINE

ThomasNMn

Karma is a major b*tch. That being said, I would return it (as I've lost my wallet before and know what it feels like) and if I couldn't, I would donate it to a worthy cause. This has also happened to me before and I've done everything I could to return it, with no thought of any reward in return. Usually, the appreciation was reward enough - and the person typically did give me a few bucks for the effort.

Countryboy_

Return it. Keeping it is theft and I am not that kind of person.

I agree that turning it in is the right thing to do...

But how do you figure keeping it is theft? If someone just leaves something lying around, what says i can't pick it up if I want it?

Because there's a 30 day wait period while you are trying to find the owner if the people hadn't claimed the money it would then go to who found it. Perfect example are dogs, in the eyes of the law they are property. If you find a dog you ofcourse can hand it over to a shelter, but if you choose to hold on to it. You cannot claim ownership for 30 days. If on day 28 the owner shows up you cant say no. Well you can but cops can be called.

Here in my county....if the dog is running loose, and the owners are located, they will be charged $500 for allowing said dog to run loose off a leash. True Story.

MightyDomo

Completely situational for me. If it has the ability to be returned then yes I would, if there wasn't a way to return it then I would probably keep it since I wouldn't have a clue who to give it back to.

amandapye78

I would absolutely turn it in. Yes, I would be tempted but I know myself well enough to know I couldn't keep it. If I found a wallet I would turn it in with everything still inside if I just found a 20.00 on the side of the road I would keep it. If I found 100.00 on the side of the road I would keep it but if I found it in a store or something I would turn it in.

carriempls

I'd turn it in.

I saw $5 hanging out in a snow bank the other day and I left it there, hoping whoever lost it would look for it.

harleydall76

Doesn't anyone watch bad '90s TV shows and base their decisions off them?

Geeze.

I'd totally return the money ... after I bought a bunch of concert tickets and scalped them, thus doubling my money.

And shoes.

Ha! I remember that Saved By The Bell episode!

blueeylb

i would turn it in. my luck they would b filming a 'what would you do?' show but i will say i would give the police my name and nuber and would be checking in with them and praying for the 30 days. then i will be happy to reclam it if the owners dont pick it up!!

abrewer563

I would turn it in for sure. My fiance and I found a wrislet in the city one time and I didn't even have the guts to use part of the girls $39 cash it had in it to ship it back to her, so I paid for the over-night shipping fee. I'm pathetic

Owlie45

Return it. Keeping it is theft and I am not that kind of person.

I agree that turning it in is the right thing to do...

But how do you figure keeping it is theft? If someone just leaves something lying around, what says i can't pick it up if I want it?

Because there's a 30 day wait period while you are trying to find the owner if the people hadn't claimed the money it would then go to who found it. Perfect example are dogs, in the eyes of the law they are property. If you find a dog you ofcourse can hand it over to a shelter, but if you choose to hold on to it. You cannot claim ownership for 30 days. If on day 28 the owner shows up you cant say no. Well you can but cops can be called.

Here in my county....if the dog is running loose, and the owners are located, they will be charged $500 for allowing said dog to run loose off a leash. True Story.

If found by animal control, same here. Otherwise its returned.

DontStopB_Leakin

I'd turn it into the police station, regardless of whether or not there was any identification on it.

Not because I'd be looking for a reward, or because I'd be afraid of being charged with a crime, but because I'd hope someone would do the same for me.

Now....chump change lying on the street? Yea, that's mine.