If you find a large sum of money, do you have a right to kee

13

Replies

  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    That's a really tough question. On one hand, it IS my yard, but then on the other, it was buried by someone else for a reason... Not knowing the exact rhyme or reason would bother me.

    What would YOU do, OP?

    I would turn it in. I've heard that if money turned in isn't claimed then you get to have it back. It it's meant for me to have, I will get it that way. That's all I need is to be running from the original owners (killers and drug dealers...cause they're the ONLY ones who bury money in back yards right?) in my dreams! :laugh:


    Here's a different question.... say it was drug dealers and killers who buried this money.... aren't they going to come after me and my family if I turn it in, too? I mean, its not like they are going to stroll on into the police station and say "yo, that's my stash..." So, either way, I'm pretty much toast.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
    Alright, I have to go earn some money, since none has been tossed in my back yard. Enjoy this, guys! :)
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
    That's a really tough question. On one hand, it IS my yard, but then on the other, it was buried by someone else for a reason... Not knowing the exact rhyme or reason would bother me.

    What would YOU do, OP?

    I would turn it in. I've heard that if money turned in isn't claimed then you get to have it back. It it's meant for me to have, I will get it that way. That's all I need is to be running from the original owners (killers and drug dealers...cause they're the ONLY ones who bury money in back yards right?) in my dreams! :laugh:


    Here's a different question.... say it was drug dealers and killers who buried this money.... aren't they going to come after me and my family if I turn it in, too? I mean, its not like they are going to stroll on into the police station and say "yo, that's my stash..." So, either way, I'm pretty much toast.

    you have a point. that would be really scary!

    seriously, someone make me stop! i have things to do.
  • mamaDaisyJ
    mamaDaisyJ Posts: 395
    So, once I posted in response to the OP's question... I went and read/watched the story... so yes, now I know it was not buried.
    If something is buried on my property, it would make a difference to me cause it's buried and I've lived here long enough that it wouldn't have happened yesterday.

    Now in this guy's instance, if I was in HIS shoes, I prolly would have gave it to the cops too. It could be from anything or anyone. I hope they have someone watching his house in case deadly money smugglers come looking for him! That's just a danger thing.

    Again~ no morality here, cause it was left behind. Nobody Loses that much money in multiple duffel bags in a backyard they don't belong in.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Definitely turned it in, buried money would stink, your wallet and purse would reek with the smell. The guilt and smell would haunt you forever. If the money goes unclaimed you get it anyway.

    No it wouldn't. Again, if it's on my property, it's mine. What am I supposed to feel guilty about? Unknowingly buying land where someone decided to stash a bunch of money and were stupid enough not to take it with them when they sold the property? And don't tell me they just forgot that they buried six figures in the yard.
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
    OP didn't have the story right.
    We are NOT talking about previous owners buring cash on his property.
    As Jenna mentioned, The cash WAS NOT BURIED.
    If this story doesn't inspire you to plant a garden we're not sure what will: While picking some fresh broccoli from his backyard, a man in McHenry County stumbled upon several duffel bags filled with hundreds of $20 bills. Fearing the money was stolen, he did the honorable thing and called the police. While taking a look around the crime scene, the authorities actually located more duffel bags, bringing the total amount of cash found to about $150,000
    here's link to the story.
    http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2011/08/man_finds_150000_in_his_garden.html
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member

    in all seriousness, like someone else said I'd be more worried that it was crime-money and a pack of drug dealers or something would come looking for me and my family.

    Exactly!!

    $20-$50 is one thing.
    $150, 000 You turn it in.

    All these people that said they would keep the money, and losers weepers. Trying saying that to a bunch of drug dealers with guns or mobsters coming after you for the money.

    Really, people are that naive that they think they are entitled to it and can spend it?
    Go ahead and spend it when your feet are in cement blocks at the bottom of a lake.

    The person who found it, I think I heard them say.
    "It would cause more trouble than good to keep the money"

    I'm not afraid of people with guns. I carry a gun on me everywhere I go, and I would not hesitate to send anyone who threatens me to a nice, long dirt nap.

    And the truly naive people are the ones who believe anyone is entitled to money they buried on someone else's property.

    Edit: For the last time, we get that the story in the OP is not about burying money. That doesn't change what the rest of us are talking about.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    When I was little, my family lived in Denmark and we were living in a rental house for a few years. About a year after moving into this house, my parents decided to move one of the living room rugs. Under it was equal to thousands of dollars in Danish kroner. My parents immediately called the house owner who thanked us and thanked us because he had forgotten that he had hidden it there when he was living in the house (We were the first renters. He was living there previously). This story by the OP reminds me of this. I think the right thing to do is hand it over to the police if you don't know who it belongs to. I believe in karma!
  • quichebradford
    quichebradford Posts: 327 Member
    That's a really tough question. On one hand, it IS my yard, but then on the other, it was buried by someone else for a reason... Not knowing the exact rhyme or reason would bother me.

    What would YOU do, OP?

    I would turn it in. I've heard that if money turned in isn't claimed then you get to have it back. It it's meant for me to have, I will get it that way. That's all I need is to be running from the original owners (killers and drug dealers...cause they're the ONLY ones who bury money in back yards right?) in my dreams! :laugh:


    Here's a different question.... say it was drug dealers and killers who buried this money.... aren't they going to come after me and my family if I turn it in, too? I mean, its not like they are going to stroll on into the police station and say "yo, that's my stash..." So, either way, I'm pretty much toast.

    Humn, hadn't thought of that. You're right, they might get me that way too. Oh what a tangled web they wove for me! I'd still turn it in, and then hope that they're nice killers and drug dealers and be ok with it!
  • jesshall281
    jesshall281 Posts: 219
    Wouldn't it be nice if a filthy rich billionaire decided to throw money bags into people's gardens just to see their reaction? Maybe a billionaire spied on this man and knew he was unemployed and decided to help him out and throw money in his garden...only for the man to hand it over to the police.

    VERY unlikely, if anything, impossible. But I'd like to think of that over dirty, scummy drug dealers any day.
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    That's a really tough question. On one hand, it IS my yard, but then on the other, it was buried by someone else for a reason... Not knowing the exact rhyme or reason would bother me.

    What would YOU do, OP?

    I would turn it in. I've heard that if money turned in isn't claimed then you get to have it back. It it's meant for me to have, I will get it that way. That's all I need is to be running from the original owners (killers and drug dealers...cause they're the ONLY ones who bury money in back yards right?) in my dreams! :laugh:


    Here's a different question.... say it was drug dealers and killers who buried this money.... aren't they going to come after me and my family if I turn it in, too? I mean, its not like they are going to stroll on into the police station and say "yo, that's my stash..." So, either way, I'm pretty much toast.

    Humn, hadn't thought of that. You're right, they might get me that way too. Oh what a tangled web they wove for me! I'd still turn it in, and then hope that they're nice killers and drug dealers and be ok with it!

    I didn't read the article, just what others were stating and it got me to thinking that if it were dealers and killers, well, Id be screwed either way, but at least if I turned it in, the police could put me in some sort of witness protection plan, or I would hope, lol.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    You never have a "right" to keep it. You might decide to keep it, but it's not a right. If you find it on your property and turn it in and the correct protocol is followed and the original owner cannot be found (with proof), then you should then be able to lay legal claim to it.
  • mamaDaisyJ
    mamaDaisyJ Posts: 395
    Wouldn't it be nice if a filthy rich billionaire decided to throw money bags into people's gardens just to see their reaction? Maybe a billionaire spied on this man and knew he was unemployed and decided to help him out and throw money in his garden...only for the man to hand it over to the police.

    VERY unlikely, if anything, impossible. But I'd like to think of that over dirty, scummy drug dealers any day.

    Hey! there's the next new reality TV show!~
  • quichebradford
    quichebradford Posts: 327 Member
    Sorry for the confusion on the placement of the money....I had to go back and read the story. It wasn't burried, it was just near the broccoli and he found it when he was picking some. I will try to be clearer in my facts when posting in the future! :wink:
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member

    in all seriousness, like someone else said I'd be more worried that it was crime-money and a pack of drug dealers or something would come looking for me and my family.

    Exactly!!

    $20-$50 is one thing.
    $150, 000 You turn it in.

    All these people that said they would keep the money, and losers weepers. Trying saying that to a bunch of drug dealers with guns or mobsters coming after you for the money.

    Really, people are that naive that they think they are entitled to it and can spend it?
    Go ahead and spend it when your feet are in cement blocks at the bottom of a lake.

    The person who found it, I think I heard them say.
    "It would cause more trouble than good to keep the money"

    I'm not afraid of people with guns. I carry a gun on me everywhere I go, and I would not hesitate to send anyone who threatens me to a nice, long dirt nap.

    And the truly naive people are the ones who believe anyone is entitled to money they buried on someone else's property.

    Edit: For the last time, we get that the story in the OP is not about burying money. That doesn't change what the rest of us are talking about.

    Re word the story, and duffel bags were thrown over your fence into your garden, $150,000 worth yesterday.
    All those people would still go and start spending it the next day?
    I DON"T THINK SO.
    I'm not afraid of people with guns. I carry a gun on me everywhere I go, and I would not hesitate to send anyone who threatens me to a nice, long dirt nap
    Do you think that would scare the drug dealers or mobsters who want their $150,000 back? Do all your relatives carry guns too, what about your children.
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
    Some drug dealers used to live in the house that my DH and I own -- so, when we remodeled it, we took the opportunity to search it carefully (under floorboards, in walls, etc.), as there were "rumors" that money was hidden.

    Nope, never found any. Sigh.

    On the bright side, we have a lovely, remodeled house.
  • ket_the_jet
    ket_the_jet Posts: 1,257 Member
    I'm not afraid of people with guns. I carry a gun on me everywhere I go, and I would not hesitate to send anyone who threatens me to a nice, long dirt nap.
    In fairness, most people *don't* carry guns and someone else carrying a gun does scare him or her.

    Let's all avoid anecdotal evidence, platitudes based on absolutely nothing, and stick to facts.
    -wtk
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    Some drug dealers used to live in the house that my DH and I own -- so, when we remodeled it, we took the opportunity to search it carefully (under floorboards, in walls, etc.), as there were "rumors" that money was hidden.

    Nope, never found any. Sigh.

    On the bright side, we have a lovely, remodeled house.


    what's a DH? Did you ever receive any unwanted visitors?
  • circusmom
    circusmom Posts: 662 Member
    In response to "Karma is a B*tch", If the money had beed buried, maybe it's Karma paying you back for a previous good deed.
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    Keep it. Its not my fault I found the money. If someone wants their money they can keep track of it.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    I honestly don't know. I like to think I would turn it in, but "Situational Ethics" could play a part in my decision.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    you've seen the film 'shallowgrave' right?????
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
    Legally, unless left unclaimed for 30 days, its not theirs. You need to think about it. Why is there a duffle bag filled with $150k in your backyard? Trust me its not because some person was kooky and buried it back there. Its for one purpose, and one alone: drugs. Someone is going to come looking for that money sooner or later, and they will come after you. Thats why its best to just report it, and maybe pocket 10% before you do ;)
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
    what's a DH? Did you ever receive any unwanted visitors?
    DH is Dear Hubby. And, yes, apparently for the first few years he lived there, there was the occasional "customer" showing up.

    He moved into the house about 23 years ago, and we remodeled 10 years ago.
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    what's a DH? Did you ever receive any unwanted visitors?
    DH is Dear Hubby. And, yes, apparently for the first few years he lived there, there was the occasional "customer" showing up.

    He moved into the house about 23 years ago, and we remodeled 10 years ago.

    That's pretty cool about the house, not the customers.
  • melvac
    melvac Posts: 333 Member
    Thank-You
  • philOHIO
    philOHIO Posts: 520 Member
    I would probably turn it in, would be paranoid, otherwise.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    Here's a different question.... say it was drug dealers and killers who buried this money.... aren't they going to come after me and my family if I turn it in, too? I mean, its not like they are going to stroll on into the police station and say "yo, that's my stash..." So, either way, I'm pretty much toast.

    Well, I'm sure that is why the person who found this money made a point of telling the media that he gave it to the police, and why they left a business card from the sheriff's department in the garden where the cash was stashed.

    They want it known that the finder no longer has the money.
  • sheBB
    sheBB Posts: 573 Member
    Ummmmmmmmmm!!!
  • javajunki
    javajunki Posts: 32
    buried in the back yard... hmmmm first automatic response is turn it in. wait it out, then get it guilt free. I can imagine a scenario of an older person, not trusting banks burying their money in multiple places around the yard. They pass on, family sells the house. Not sure of the legal ramifications, but morally I think it belongs to the heirs, of course they would need to provide some evidence to support that theory.
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