Found money...what would you do?

245

Replies

  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    In all honesty, I'd be more tempted to keep it if it were LESS money. A few hundred dollars isn't as hard to recoup as $11,000. That much my conscious would get to me, knowing it was probably someone's savings they brought to take that trip.

    Of course I would expect a "Yea we are stupid dumbasses who carry around too much cash so thankfully you were honest enough to turn it in" reward.
  • Countryboy_
    Countryboy_ Posts: 618
    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?
  • jwhit31
    jwhit31 Posts: 450 Member
    I've found a purse with a big bank role in it. I didn't count it though. It seemed like the person cashed their check then lost it. I turned it in immediately. I believe in karma and doing the right thing. Besides, I know how it feels to have money taken from you. I lost my ATM card on a payday afternoon and didn't realize it until I went to pay for dinner at 9:30pm (thank goodness for credit cards). By that time someone had went on an almost $1700 shopping spree.
  • Mama_Jag
    Mama_Jag Posts: 474 Member
    I would return it if legitimate owners could be found. I would not be able to spend money someone lost.

    I found money in the parking lot at work once (didn't count it, but the envelope was fat). I know the gal had just gone to the bank and cashed paychecks for family members (small family business). Without thinking twice, I brought it in without looking. Didn't even occur to me to keep it.

    I would like to say I hope someone would do the same for me, but judging by these responses, I will continue to keep a close eye (and hand!) on my money.
  • perfectingpatti
    perfectingpatti Posts: 1,037 Member
    Without hesitation, I would look to return it or turn it in.
  • Loopygigglelips1968
    Loopygigglelips1968 Posts: 30 Member
    I'm far too honest, Id turn it straight in
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,644 Member
    obligatory hookers and blow comment

    best response!

    I am happy to know that I am not the only one who would keep it...I do like the point of considering that you may be being watched for like Dateline or something.

    Keep in mind you don't know who lost it...you don't know that it was tourists that would be completely screwed with out it. There were credit cards with names, but being from out of the country its not like you can look up their phone number to return it. It could be drug money, ransom, fake.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I would turn it in. If it had been me in a forgein country and lost THAT MUCH MONEY, id be freakin devastated.

    This... I'd put myself in the other person's shoes and would hope someone would be kind enough to turn in a lost valuable item of mine, especially that much money! I found $400 on the ground outside of the laundromat once. I picked it up, counted it and stood there waiting to see if anyone would come by to claim it. I saw this guy walking toward the building with a frantic look on his face and knew it had to be his. He walked up to me to ask if I'd seen it and I handed the money over. He was very grateful and I chalked up some karma points.

    I'd also hope the people who lost the money rewarded the couple who found it!
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    Being in the position of having lost a large amount of money and not having it turned in, I would try to find the person first and return it.
  • MyPsalm63
    MyPsalm63 Posts: 303
    I would absolutely return it, without a doubt. I can't imagine keeping it. Someone would be missing that money, greatly. It would be very wrong to keep it. Accidents happen, things get lost/misplaced.
  • _DaniD_
    _DaniD_ Posts: 2,186 Member
    I would like to say I'd return it. I found $60.00 in the bank machine..took it and felt horrible so donated it to a charity.

    $11,000 is a lot of money though..I think I'd keep and and justify my actions by knowing how dumb the person was to lose all that cash.
  • smtillman2
    smtillman2 Posts: 756 Member
    I would return it.

    When I was in collage I found an envelope with just over $200 dollars in it. I turned it in and it turned out that it was some kids Christmas money. That little girl was super excited when she got it back.
  • Bethie_B
    Bethie_B Posts: 292 Member
    I dunno. I'd hate myself for keeping it, and I'd hate myself for returning it. I'd be happier just leaving it where it was.
  • jnichel
    jnichel Posts: 4,553 Member
    If it had the owner's info in it, I'd return it. I'm not stinking rich, but I'm not hurting either. If it were me, the camera is what I would miss the most. The first time I went to the Bahamas (1986), I had a 35mm camera. Took a bunch of pictures during the cruise and while on the island. The night before we got back to port, we were at a magic show on the ship, and when it was over, we headed out and I forgot my camera bag on the table. There was about $200 in the bag, but more importantly, the camera and all the film. In the 90 or so seconds that it took me to realize that I left it on the table, someone swiped it. I was yelling out, "Look, I don't care about the money, or the camera. I just want the film!" Kept yelling out my stateroom number and asking for the person to just leave the film outside the door, but no one ever did. Almost 30 years later, I'm still pi$$ed that I don't have any pictures from that trip.

    So yeah, I'd return it.
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    Those tourists better have credit cards because that's all mine.
  • Kris0109
    Kris0109 Posts: 177 Member
    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.
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    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?
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Reminds me of a movie I recently saw on cable TV about a guy who picked up a bag of money that fell out of an armored car....

    If I was sure it couldn't be traced, I'm afraid I would keep it at this point in my life. When your only income is Social Security, you live life on the edge all the time. You never get any extra money except for (maybe) a small raise each year. If something comes up, yer screwed.
  • angel_wings
    angel_wings Posts: 29 Member
    Without hesitation . . . I would turn it in. I know what it feels like to lose money and not have it returned. But . . . . you shouldn't be carrying that much cash either . . . . use a credit card!!
  • BrotherBill913
    BrotherBill913 Posts: 662 Member
    I found a wallet with 1300.00 in it once. I found the owner and gave it back........
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
    I would and I have, I have done it twice

    once was a roll of cash that an old lady dropped, ive no idea how much was there 1-2 thousand maybe ..... I saw her drop it and ran after her ... she drew me a look and snatched it off me ... (maybe I wouldn't return it to her next time) :-/

    2nd time was when we were on holiday I counted this money roughly 500 it had been left in a bag in the toilets ... I was unsure what to do with it (i didn't trust the staff at the resort) so I waited in the loos for about 15 mins and a lady and her daughter came in crying her eyes out (it was all of her holiday money for her grand kids to spend) I asked her what was wrong and she blurted about the money ... so there for I knew it was hers so I handed it over and she gave me a big cuddle ... that was worth it :)

    on the way home from that holiday I dropped 60 quid ... never saw it again ... meh!!!
  • lizdavis07
    lizdavis07 Posts: 766 Member
    That's a lot of money. I would definitely turn that in. And since it had a camera with it too.

    Now, if it was just a wad of cash lying in the street, yea, I'm sure I'd keep that.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    if it's money...with no identification ANYWHERE on it....then yeah...it's mine...

    but if there was some way of tracking the person...i would try...

    I really would...like someone else said...i wouldn't want to live with the feeling that I could be accused of anything...
  • trailtripper
    trailtripper Posts: 71
    I'd return it. The people were tourists from out of the country, and I'm sure the pictures they took during the trip would mean a great deal to them. If I were in their position, I would want somebody to return my belongings also. I operate under to motto "treat others how you want to be treated".

    ^^^ This....
    I would try and find the owners...

    **ABSOLUTELY THIS**

    I know I would have a seriously hard time losing that much cash! ANd I would have to expect that the person who lost it would also!

    Returning the money/turning it into the police would be the only solution I would think of.

    It's a KARMA thing!!!
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    I'd return it. It's not mine and someone probably worked very hard to earn that money. In my mind, keeping it would be the same thing as stealing. Just because someone misplaced it doesn't mean it's there for the taking.
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  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    clearly i'm the only one whose mind is going here, but ok. i would put a bag w/ that much cash exactly where i found it, back up so it's in sight and call 911. bring the cops to the cash, not the cash to the cops. i'd be too worried it's a cash drop. and whether for drugs, guns, a person or a ransom payment, that's not something i want to jump in the middle of.

    but no, i wouldn't keep it.

    also, for those of you who are saying you'd take it to the bank - you should know that if you deposit $10k or over you have to fill out IRS forms RIGHT THERE at the teller window. and also, remember, that taking anything with a value of over a thousand dollars w/ the intent to keep it and the knowledge that it is not yours is GRAND LARCENY and thus a FELONY. is paying off a car really worth that?
  • shoneybabes
    shoneybabes Posts: 199 Member
    There is a big difference on being arrested for stealing say £10 to £10,000. I have found a £10 note lying on the ground and kept it. Well thats not true I felt guilty and gave it to charity. However if I had found a large sum of money I would hand it in because who is to say that you dont have someone watching you- a witness or a surveillance camera? If you get caught then it is classed as stealing.

    Besides I believe that if you do something bad it will come back on you. What goes around comes around...
  • 76tech
    76tech Posts: 1,455 Member
    Who travels with $11,000 cash?

    I'd return it, and hope for a reward. If I didn't get a reward, I'd hope for them to get mugged.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I always put myself in the shoes of the person who has lost money and/or property. I've never lost $11,000 or anywhere close to that, but I've lost jewelry and other things that were important to me, and the times I have been able to get my things back, I have been exceedingly grateful that they were found by honest people. So I always pay it forward. I have no desire to take something that I know belongs to another person.

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