Recently, upon entering a food store ( supermarket ) I saw money ( bills ) on the ground several feet from outside the entrance. Let’s just say it was a pretty good chunk of change a person would become alarmed at missing, more so if they were “just getting by”. Less than a foot away was a shopper’s loyalty/discount card. Thinking it almost a sure thing the two were dropped from the same person, I went to the services desk and spoke to a store representative and asked if they could contact the holder of the card, since the cards are linked to a phone number. The rep contacted the main office but said they could not be reached till the next working day, a few days hence, and that when/if the card holder is contacted, they would give them the money. I left the money to them, along with my name.
Now I’m not greedy, but when I asked the rep what happens if the owner can’t be located/contacted in some interval of time, then what of the found money? The rep looked puzzled, unsure what to do. Jokingly, I asked if the money is unclaimed, does it go into the store’s coffers? Can it be claimed by the finder ( me )?
Really though, if the money is unclaimed, whose is it legally?
IANAL, but I believe that most states require you to notify law enforcement if it is a substantial amount, or you may not have any legal claim to it. (I have NO idea where the dividing point is between finding a penny or finding $1000.) Otherwise, keeping the money could constitute theft or conversion. Same thing with the store…they have to make a reasonable effort to find the owner and the first step would be to notify law enforcement.
In the real world, I suspect that retaining the money at the service desk, clearly marked as “found” money on that date and in a certain location, would be acceptable. But I would not want or expect them to give it back to me after any period of time.
Well, it all depends on how much. Under a $100, you have done more than reasonable.
More than that, yes you should have done what you did.
Someone is gonna packet that cash. Go back and put in a claim. Make sure you get the managers name and a promise they will return the money if not claimed within another day.
I did get the manager’s name, and my guess the person that dropped it wasn’t very far; maybe still in the store. I was kind of hoping they could call the card’s owner immediately and that they’d answer.
I once found $80 on the sidewalk. It was a residential neighborhood, but it was neighborhood of condemned houses***. There was no one anywhere near to contact. I pocketed it with no qualms. I think you did the right thing in your situation.
***This was the path of the 105 Fwy in Downey CA. The state bought the land and condemned the houses that would have to torn down for the freeway, but then there was this big ol’ kerfuffle before the freeway actually was built maybe 20 years later. I worked nearby and often took walks at lunchtime. They used one of the streets to film part of a movie about Kerouac and Cassady (“Heartbeat”??? something like that). It was weird to walk there one day after I hadn’t been there for a few weeks to see all the shabby abandoned houses all freshly painted in pastel colors and with nice green lawns.
I found $120 neatly folded in the airport once. Right where you get onto a moving walk thing. I picked it up, rode the walk to my gate. And then had a moment to think about it (I had 3 kids with me). It was way too late to backtrack. I thought about telling a counter person at my gate. But, I hemmed and hawed too long and we were boarding. I always felt kinda bad about it.
ETA, I found money at an airport another time, too. Can’t remember the amt
I’ve never found anything in excess of twenty bucks, though. And that was in a liquor store, so I like to think I kept the guy who dropped it safe from his bad habits.
The problem with this is that it isn’t the store’s money to give back to you. If you found it and turned it in at the store, you’ve been reasonable in assuming that the owner might come back looking for it where they lost it. (If you carry it away without posting signs or making some other effort, you’ve essentially converted it.)
If the store has a consistent policy (posted or otherwise) that they will dispose of found items after XX days, then they can pretty much do what they want with it…donate it to charity, give it back to you, etc. I’m sure there’s some legal basis in your jurisdiction for what is a reasonable period, but I doubt it’s just a day or so. I’d just be very careful about taking all the appropriate steps.
I would have turned in the loyalty card with written instructions asking the store to have the loyalty card owner contact me should they wish to inquire about anything else that may have been dropped. I would then put the cash in a safe place at home. If someone called and was able to identify the cash by amount and number of bills I would meet them somewhere to return it. If no one called after a reasonable period of time (a week or 2, I think), free money for me!
This happened to me about three months ago; I found $27.00 outside a Whole Foods. Took it in, thinking that the owner would probably come back in a panic.
The manager I spoke with put the money in an envelope and took my name and number, telling me that if the money wasn’t claimed after a month, she’d call me and give it to me. And that’s exactly what happened. I feel a little bad for the person who lost a decent amount of money, but I got a nice windfall, without feeling like I took advantage of someone else’s misfortune. (Well, I suppose that’s exactly what I did; but at least I made an attempt to give it back.)
I’m not an expert, but here’s what I believe is the law:
Finding something on private property, such as a shopping center, should be turned into the shopping center. Legally, the shopping center is responsible for what is on its property. So if there’s money, diamonds, electronics, or whatever in the parking lot, that doesn’t mean its up for grabs. The finder of the property probably has no claim to it. The shopping center likely has to go through a legal process to dispose of any item left on its property (like a car). I don’t think the shopping center is legally allowed to keep any abandoned property.
Finding something on public property, such as a sidewalk, should be turned into the police. If the owner doesn’t claim it in a certain amount of time, then the finder gets to keep it.
Since you gave it back to the store it’s now their obligation to notify the police if they don’t find the owner. You could notify the police yourself if you want, but first I’d just ask the store if they located the owner.
I feel stupid, since it completely slipped my mind to give and update/epilogue. The thread probably dropped from the first page, which may have precipitated it slipping my mind.
A few weeks later I went in and asked, and was told the person who lost the money and card was contacted and the items returned.