I work at Best Buy as a sales rep for Lexmark printer and today me and the other printer reps decided to do a survey. We asked the Best buy associates and customers:
"If you found a million dollars in an unmarked bag in the middle of a parking lot would you keep it or turn it in?"
Out of every 3 people we asked 2 said they would keep it...
What would you do??
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Turn it in.
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Turn it in.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Turn it in.
It's a much better question if it's less money.
Like a hundred bucks. If it's one big duffel bag of money, it makes much more sense to turn it in. If it's a single bill, I bet a lot more people keep it. It's hard to explain where you got a duffel full of cash from though.
Even though the principle's the same.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
I'd use the money to buy a copy of A Simple Plan.
--Enigmatic
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
I agree, JT. That much money? Heck yeah, I'd turn it in. I might even turn in $100. Less than that, though...eh.
Posted by Hmm216 (Member # 8403) on :
I would think it would make more sense to turn it in...but most people we asked sait they would keep it. Some said they would look around and make sure no one was looking before taking it.
Posted by Hmm216 (Member # 8403) on :
Im sorry, sait=said.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
If you find a big bag full of money in a parking lot, that sounds like either drug money or (probably marked or inventoried) ransom money or maybe counterfeit money to me. In any case, you don't want to get caught with it, moral question aside.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
The problem is with a single bill, you have almost no chance of finding its rightful owner. I've seen people drop money and told them about it when I could have easily have kept it. I did that last night when I was out. I've also found a twenty on the ground in a deserted parking garage in the middle of the night, and I kept that one because I had no idea whose it was, and knew they wouldn't have any idea where they'd dropped.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
A serious question: Do you have any legal obligation to turn it in? Are you breaking the law to keep found money?
Sure, a million dollars in a duffel bag seems likely to be there because of something criminal: a major drug deal or a bank robbery. The police may want it for evidence. But if money is sitting in a public place without anyone nearby to claim it as their own, is there actually some law you'd be breaking by taking it?
--Enigmatic
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yes, there actually is; you're supposed to turn it into the police. They notify you if it hasn't been claimed by a certain time, and if it's not of historical value or anything (like gold coins from the conquistadors, in which case it belongs to the state), they give it to you. (You know, unless it's "hot" or counterfeit, like I suggested before.)
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
I wouldn't want that much money, turn it in.
Besides, someone is bound to notice it's missing, someone doesn't just lose a million bucks. It'd be better if that person got what belonged to them.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote: I wouldn't want that much money
Really? Assuming you obtained it legally and ethically, what's the problem. If nothing else, you could give it all away and have a blast doing it.
Posted by JaimeBenlevy (Member # 6222) on :
"They notify you if it hasn't been claimed by a certain time"
But how do they know if it's claimed by the right person? There are probably people who periodically call in and say they lost $100 or so...
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I think you have to prove that you used to have it and you don't any more. And I think it's money over a certain amount; I don't think they care if you find $20.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
KQ's answer is pretty much what you always hear on this hypothetical question. You're "supposed to" turn it in. Allow me to clarify what I was asking: WHAT law are you breaking? WHAT crime would you be charged with? If there's a law which says you have to turn in found money to its rightful owner or to the police there must be some cutoff point specified in the law, right? I doubt it'd be illegal to pick up a quarter on the sidewalk, so where is it the line legally drawn?
It's not that I doubt the accuracy of what KQ said about police procedure, or what others have said about ethical, moral, or personal safety reasons to turn it in. I'm just wondering what the legal basis for this is, what the law actually says on the subject. Is Dagonee around?
My own thoughts: IF it's counterfeit and you spend it: you're passing counterfeit bills, which I think is illegal even if you didn't print them. IF its evidence for some other crime, you could be breaking the law for Obstruction of Justice. But beyond that, what is the actual crime of not reporting found money?
And to reiterate: I'm not argueing with anything anyone has said. I'm curious about the legal stance behind it.
--Enigmatic
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I think that most states do have specific laws, but I don't know, specifically, what they are. You could probably look it up by going to your state's penal code website.
Posted by Goo Boy (Member # 7752) on :
What El JT said. I don't think the principle is the same between a fifty and a bag of money. I have seen people drop everything from a dollar to fifty dollars and returned it to them. I saw a fifty on the sidewalk once and simply kept it. I didn't figure there was a way to find its rightful owner. If I saw a large sum, I would figure that if it were not a reloic of a crime, its rightful owner should be findable--and if not I believe the cops would let me have it back--so I would turn it it.
-o-
Engmatic: A few years ago an armored truck overturned in Miami and "leaked" cash all over a ghetto. The police (through the news) informed people that it was illegal to keep any money they found and that they had to return it. Over the next week or two, a surprising amount was returned.
Posted by Goo Boy (Member # 7752) on :
We already know Foust's answer. Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
My search-fu was not yet strong enought find any relevant information on the MN laws site. I may try again later when I have more time.
--Enigmatic
Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
Sorry, but dollar is totally without value. It's an old and depressed monay. Can you ask the question with euro ?
Hey ! I joke. Posted by Treason (Member # 7587) on :
On the way to taking it to the police station, I would probably take out 1/3 of the money so I satisfy both my want for the money and my fear of getting caught with all of it! Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
That much money in a bag would probably be marked and sequential bills. I'd be far too concerned about the likelihood of it being the result of a bank robbery or a ransom situation or something like that and turn it in. I wouldn't even want to touch it to see if they were in fact sequential. What, leave my fingerprints all over it? No way man! Possession of stolen goods is also a crime, and I'd rather not do the time, thankyouverymuch... LOL
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote: Million Dollar Question
"If you found a million dollars in an unmarked bag in the middle of a parking lot would you keep it or turn it in?"
I would call the police and stay in the parking lot with the money until they arrived. Then I would turn it over to them. Of course, unless I sat in the parking lot counting it all, I wouldn't know that it was a million dollars. But I would know that it was a lot of dollars.
Did I get the answer right? Do I win the prize?
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
quote:WHAT law are you breaking? WHAT crime would you be charged with?
Please note that simply finding something unattended does not make it your property.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
You mean "Finders, keepers" isn't encoded into law somehow? Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Nor, I believe is "dibs."
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
I would say squatters rights are very close to "dibs"
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
I would search for cameras all around, and upon failure to find any bugging I would take myself a 15% share before giving the rest as a donation to the Australian cricket team.
I'd love to do that, actually, but I think I'd turn in it immediately 'cause I'm scared of the authorities.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
"The finder of lost property holds it against all the world except the original owner."
It's an old maxim of English common law, and it's never really that simple, but that's the starting point for analyis.
There's also a difference between lost, abandoned, and misplaced property.
Many states have lost property statutes - "turn it in, no one claims it, you get it" or something similar.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Anyone who loses or leaves a million bucks in the middle of the parking lot doesn't deserve a million dollars, says the snarky part of me. Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
People, people! I'm surprised at you! That million dollars is somebody's ransom money. The kidnapped victim's family didn't call the police, because the kidnappers told them not to OR ELSE. You may not see anyone else in the parking lot, but, believe you me, the kidnappers were watching the drop and now they are watching hapless old you stumble across their ransom money. You think you're getting away with it? HA! You just signed your own death warrant, mister! Do not get involved in this nutty series of events. Let someone else be the star of this particular action movie.
Posted by Crotalus (Member # 7339) on :
I'd buy me a Trans-Am. Heck, I might even buy two.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
I'd turn it in, it might be dirty money.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
I'd turn in the whole $500,000...
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Lol, Human. Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Id' turn it all in, for several reasons. If the money is clean, I couldn't in good conscience keep someone elses' money. If the money is dirty, I couldn't keep it either because I wouldn't want to benefit from someone elses' criminal activity.
Either way, I'd be worried about whose money it was and who might come looking for it. Plus, there are my personal moral and religious beliefs about stealing (and keeping someone elses' money when I should have turned it in equates to stealing in my mind) to consider. I'd have no joy of the money, so best to turn it in.
Besides, if no one ever comes to claim it then I might get at least a portion of it which I could spend with a clean conscience that I had done all I should and all that was expected of me.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
I would probably stop, and take a good look around.
Then, as long as nobody could tell the bag was full of money from the outside, I would hold it up and yell "Has anyone misplaced this bag!". I would look around for anyone who might have dropped it, or who might be keeping an eye on it. I would continue to guard the bag for at least ten minutes to a half hour. If anyone came back for it (and knew what was inside), I would give it to them. Hoping perhaps for a reward, but not expecting one.
If after a while nobody claims it, I would walk away with the bag, still asking around for those who might have left the bag. I do this until I am a considerable distance away from where I found the bag.
This is to make it obvious to anyone looking for the bag that I was not attempting to steal it. If the party responsible for it saw me, I would want it quite clear my intention was to return it. But if I got far enough away that I felt nobody was going to ask me for it, I would bring it home. Perhaps then I would buy one of those pens that check for counterfeit money and try it out. If it checks out, I would go down to the bank with about a hundred dollars worth, and try and deposit it (leaving the bag at home hidden). If they don't see anything fishy with it, I put the rest of the money in a safe deposit box for a while, and I would leave it there until I decide what to do then.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Seriously, I would have my attorney coordinate the return of the money. It just doesn't seem sensible to me to drop a million dollars in cash, by myself, at the front desk of the local police station.
Also, this would force a paper-trail leading back to me in the event that it is never claimed. Many jurisdictions (I think) have policies where the property reverts back to the finder if it's unclaimed after a period of time.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Interesting thing. Last week I went to the coffee place to buy a bag of whole bean coffee. It was fairly busy, as coffee places are sometimes esp when the eather is nice.
I parked a little ways up the strip mall, and walked up the sidewalk. I remember exchanging nods with a waiter from a pizza place taking a smoke break. When I came out, the waiter was still smoking, and there was a dollar bill laying in my path, pretty near my car.
I didn't know what to do with it. I picked it up and unfolded it. That was when I realized it had fallen out of my car. It had the word "Luck" written on it. I had gotten it in some change earlier that week.
I knew it was mine, but I had the urge to give it to the waiter. I puzzled over the odd feeling just long enough that he was gone when I looked up.
I still have it. It was mine. But, for some reason, I had the urge to give it away when I found it lying beside my vehicle instead of in it. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Maybe he needed it more than you. Maybe you knew that. Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Yeah. I think so, too. I just didn't want to walk up to some guy I don't know and give him money, you know? So I hesitated for a second, and he was gone.
I'm sure I'll have another chance to pass it along soon. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I was in Jack in the Box having a late lunch the other day after going to the park with Emsie (this was before our kitchen was operational, so I stopped there to get a salad. Bad choice, btw, don't get a salad at Jack in the Box!) A woman who was obviously homeless came in with an old cup and got some soda at the machine (which they ignore if the person doing it isn't bothering anyone.) Emma, who doesn't know social taboos yet, was smiling and waving and babbling at her. She was shyly smiling back at Emma. I noticed, too, that she looked very hungry. I wondered if she was someone's mother, or big sister, and had loved a little girl that age. So I picked up Emma and went over to her. She looked scared, like I was going to tell her to leave (it was a very hot day, I'm sure she needed to get out of the sun!) I asked if she would like a hamburger or a chicken sandwich. She said, "Yes, please." I asked which one, and she said, "Chicken sandwich." So I went and got her a chicken sandwich from the value menu. I figured she needed that $1 a lot more than I did.
I felt good about it. Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
There are many times that we're guilty of indifference towards others... I'm glad this wasn't one of them. I hope that woman remembered how it is for someone to care for you, even a little bit.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
KQ, what a mitzvah! You did good.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
I once gave a woman 20 shekels at the Jerusalem central bus station, to help her buy her train ticket home to Be'er Sheva. I know in Israel it's hard to tell when people are actually hard up and when they're just out to get money, but I figured I can spare 20 nis!
Posted by ambyr (Member # 7616) on :
I used to buy extra groceries just to have something to give to the homeless person between the store and my apartment.
The other day, I forgot to grab change from my bowl for the bus, and a very nice woman at the bus stop paid my fare so I wouldn't have to overpay with a $20 (they don't give change). Someone asked me for a dollar the next day, and I was too busy rushing for the bus to give them one. I still feel bad about that -- but in this city, I figure I'll have another chance to pay it forward soon enough.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I had two experiences like that...
I found a wallet while working, with no one around at all to see me, and it had over 1200 in cash and about 4500 in UNSIGNED travelers checks in it....
I turned it in.
I was working at the Hofbrauhaus and a waiter and I found a white envelope with 3000 in small bills under a table...once again with no one but us anywhere around us.
We turned it in.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
There were some very unhappy strippers that day, I bet. Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
When we were little my mom lost her wallet on Christmas Eve. IN it was all the cash she had taken out to get our toys out of Lay-a-way. She says she was crying her eyes out at home, when the phone rang. A man had found her wallet, and looked up her phone number and called her. He told her to meet him at the store where the toys were, so she could get there and get them out before they closed.
She tried to give him a reward, but he wouldn't accept it. Said as soon as he found it he knew there were kids somewhere that wouldnt' have toys on Christmas if he dind't find the owner of the wallet and the fact that she would be able to give her kids a happy Christmas morning was enough for him.
She's never forgotten him, and doesn't even know his name. She was a single mom at the time with two small kids and all the money she'd saved for months to buy us Christmas presents was in that wallet.
Makes you feel good about people when you hear stories like that.
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
Aww, Belle... that's a lovely story!
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
This thread makes me happy. Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Once, and only once, Ron and I drove into New York city. When we were ready to leave, our car wouldn't start. A guy with jumper cables came over to help us, but made it clear he wanted money. So, we gave him our last $20.00 and hoped our heap would make it out of the city.
The Lincoln tunnel was blocked for construction. We were SO lost. A vanload of Pakistani Immigrants tried to give us directions (we'd been told never to ask directions in NYC, because 'people will mess with you' but we were desperate). They ended up leading us to the next best way out of the city. Like, twelve hands stuck out of the vehicle pointing us to our turn.
It was really sweet.
By then, it was getting dark. We knew where we were going, but traffic was bad. Stopped at a red light, a street person came wondering over to our vehicle (It was an 86 or 87 Pontiac T1000, which is, essentially, a chevette. It was crap, and looked it. But it was the best we could do).
Ron started rolling down the window. O_O He said, "We don't have any money, but we have a bag of donut holes." He gave the man our bag of donut holes, and everybody was happy.
I tend to give panhandlers food instead of money. At least that way, you know they'll get something to eat.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I can't believe someone would expect money for a jump start! Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
I know! That's ridiculous!
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Ok look its said "an unmarked bag" exactly where are you going to turn it into?
I would go research what happens if I turn it in and it goes unclaimed. I believe there is some sort of stipulation that if property is not claimed within like 3 weeks the party that found it is entitled to it. If that was the case I would take it to the police station specify how much money is in it, tell them thats the law, and make sure that only somebody who could specify the exact amount and prove ownership coudl have it, and then I would wait 3 weeks and come back for the money.
Realistically if you find ALOT of money in an unmarked bag with no id inside (its probably drug money) if you pick up the bag start running and dont look back.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Sorry to revive another thread, but I saw this article and immediately thought of this thread.
Too much of a coincidence to pass up. For those that don't feel like clicking, essentially a guy in Australia found 263,000 on the street, kept it, got turned in by a coworker, and went to jail. The police said if he'd turned it in it would have been his because no one called to claim it.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
See, he followed my advice partway. He did put half of it in a safe deposit box. Putting the other half in a backpack under his desk was pretty stupid though. Yeesh. I wonder what the coworker was doing opening his bag though. I wonder if there was some strange behavior which prompted him to do so.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Turn it in.
Besides having a healthy fear of the law, or at least of what it would do to me if I kept it and got caught (which I would; it's a law of nature), I really believe in "do unto others...". If I lost that much money (not that I'd ever have it), I'd want whoever found it to turn it in, so that obligates me to turn that large an amount of money in if I find it. Now, having said that...
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: I think you have to prove that you used to have it and you don't any more. And I think it's money over a certain amount; I don't think they care if you find $20.
...I did find $20 once, on the street near an ATM machine. There was no one around, and no way that anyone could prove it was theirs, even if they came looking for it. That $20 bought dinner that night.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Can I just say...
Don't mess around with duffle bags, backpacks, shopping bags, etc. that are sitting around unattended.
For me it has to do with how likely it is that the money gets back to where it belongs. $20 in an empty parking lot, I'd keep it; $20 on the floor of a shop or an office, I'd try to find who dropped it or turn it in.
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