Would you return it?

[Roundabout]

Treasure Found In Thrift Shop Shirt

WEST BEND, Wis. - Larry Hoffman brought home a bargain shirt from the Goodwill store—only to find $2,000 in cash stuffed in a pocket.

The 69-year-old retiree returned to the store the same day to report the money.

“The money certainly wasn’t mine. It belonged to somebody else, obviously,” Hoffman said of his April 1 find. “That person was certainly on my mind more than me.”

Store manager Rebecca Johnson said customers have returned small amounts of money found in clothing, “but nothing on this scale” in the six years she’s been in charge.

“If there’s a one-tenth of 1 percent chance that somebody’s going to claim it, they should have that opportunity,” Hoffman said Wednesday.

Goodwill has no way to trace the source of the shirt, so Johnson called West Bend police. The rightful owner has 90 days to claim the money. After that, Hoffman can claim it or else it goes in the city treasury.

Police won’t disclose any details about the shirt or the denominations of the bills that were found. That information has to come from anyone seeking to claim the money.

“When we were kids, it was always ‘finders keepers, losers weepers,”’ Hoffman said. “But that’s not really the case. You’ve got to keep the losers from weeping too much.”

[Kunta Kinte]

Of course you do. Dignity is always in style.

[Epicurus8a]

The answer depends upon wheather or not you have a soul. Obviously this guy did.

[waheed]

Depends. You dont really know who the money belongs to. Tricky situation, anyone can claim for it.

Unless someone comes forward and claims to lost the EXACT amount without revealing the amount to anyone, I would donate it to charity after a certain time if no one has claimed for it.

Then again:

“The money certainly wasn’t mine. It belonged to somebody else, obviously,” Hoffman said of his April 1 find. “That person was certainly on my mind more than me.”

April 1 find, could this just be an April Fools Joke

[Kunta Kinte]

April 1 find, could this just be an April Fools Joke

Don't think so.
http://cbs4boston.com/water/watercooler_story_104084135.html

[pyrate83]

If you have an conscience then you would return it but in his case he took it to the police which is the next best thing to do.

[BJ_M]

i would keep it .. 4 sure


it was clearly just drug money

[shelbyGT]

I would keep it. And yes, my conscience would be clear and I do have a soul.

[ViRaL1]

If I actually believed the money would find its way back to the rightful owner, I might. But seeing as how it's next to impossible, I seriously doubt I would. Besides, I haven't had need for a soul OR a conscience in years.

[BJ_M]

cops just used it for coffee money and told the guy that it was claimed ..

[pyrate83]

Ok, so even though I know returning it is the right thing to do that's not to say I wouldn't mind using that money for something sweet.

[lumis]

if i worked at the thrift store and someone brought me $2,000 saying they found it in a shirt, i'd keep it.. if i found the $2,000 in a shirt, i'd keep it too. if i found out someone found $2,000 in a shirt, i'd steal it. no matter how you slice it, that $2,000 is mine.. i'm going to wisconsin now.

[lordsmurf]

No.

[Faustus]

cops just used it for coffee money and told the guy that it was claimed ..

You would or perhaps wouldnt be surprised how oftent his happens.

I'd have waited a few days and if the cloths came from THAT shop (meaning were dropped off there by someone) I'd have asked kindly if someone came in there looking for any money that might have been left in a shirt. If the answer was no I'd have kept it.

I would NOT have mentioned an ammount unless they said yes. If they said yes I'd have asked if they left any contact info. Because if I had lost the money I would have left contact info over $2000.

[ViRaL1]

Not $2000, but I found $10 today in the cash return at the grocery store. I turned it in to them in case they came up short, but if they don't, I expect the $10 back. I'm sure no one will come in saying they lost it.

[ZAPPER]

I may have asked the store to notify me of any lost claims for the next 30 days or so and not given anyone the specifics of what I had found. (although $2000 would just about cover a months bills)

I thought there was just something in the news about a family clearing out a dead family members clothes only to find that the clothes were the hiding spot for a life savings. (or something along those lines)

[ChrisX]

Would you return it?

I say NO! Who would I give it back to?

To the shop, I would say No!

Would the police know of the owner?

I doubt they find the rightful owner of the cash.

It is really up the individual to return it and the honesty.

Well, me personally returning the money depend on where found?

I have found cash so small in public places such as on the sidewalk and I generally do keep.

The biggest cash I did find in was AUD$50.00 on entrance into a licensed Club.

The cash was on the floor and it obviously fell out of someone’s pocket there.

I have found cash on numerous occasions and even some in USA as well generally only tiny money such as a penny.

Recently I found five dollars nearby, ten dollars last year on my way to a cinema and the biggest denomination I ever used was a US$100.00 note.

[AlecWest]

Whether or not I'd "report" found money would depend upon how much it was. If it was $2,000 I'd bypass the store and go directly to the police. I could be naive here but would like to "think" the police would do the right thing ... namely, hold it for a reasonable period of time in case a rightful owner was found, and then disburse it back to me if one wasn't found. Then, I'd go to the store and tell them I found a considerable amount of cash in the pocket but not disclose the "amount" of cash ... telling them that, if someone asked, they should go to the police and identify the amount to their satisfaction.

The bigger the amount, the more I'd be inclined to turn it over to the police. If it was associated with a robbery (where serial numbers of bills are known) or was counterfeit, I'd rather find out about it in some legitimate way than attempting to pass a bill that would attract police scrutiny.

On the other hand (evil grin), I would be tempted to take the money to Las Vegas, insert the bills into coin-op machines, get the credit slips, and cash them in for "different" (laundered) money. Assuming the bills are legitimate, this would be an especially easy way to launder the money ... especially if the casino was busy - making it difficult, even with casino cams, to specify which person inserted the bills in case the question ever came up.

[Zisguy1]

If I found someone's wallet with money in it, you're damn tootin' I'd return it untouched (and probably even refuse a reward if it were offered to me). But a shirt from a Goodwill? Sorry man, but someone dumb enough to leave $2,000 cash in a shirt they donated to a thrift store doesn't even put a dent in my conscience. I'd keep it.

Edit -- OK, I think I would. Guess it would have to happen to really be sure.

[jackal70058]

He bought it at the Goodwill store. the shirt and it's contents are his now.

[AlecWest]

Sorry man, but someone dumb enough to leave $2,000 cash in a shirt they donated to a thrift store doesn't even put a dent in my conscience. I'd keep it.

Well, I could see a husband putting mad-money in a shirt he hardly ever wears ... in case he needed it for a rainy day. Then, I could see his wife staring at a box of old shirts in the garage ... shaking her head, and calling Goodwill for a pickup. Or, it could have been the other way around ... the wife putting mad-money in an old shirt in case she needed it for a rainy day ... and the husband shaking his head at a box of old shirts, calling Goodwill for a pickup. This kind of stuff happens.

Edit -- OK, I think I would. Guess it would have to happen to really be sure.

Some man or woman on the verge of a coronary will probably thank that guy for turning in the money. Or (ulp) they may not notice the shirt missing for months or even years ... and by then, it'll be too late.

[ChrisX]

Yep, I can remember putting away in secret an out of circulated money note.

It was Australia's old dollar note as a souvenir for me to keep.

I was unable to find it for a long time until I know where it was.

Well, I could see a husband putting mad-money in a shirt he hardly ever wears ... in case he needed it for a rainy day.

Or, it could have been the other way around ... the wife putting mad-money in an old shirt in case she needed it for a rainy day ...

This is what I was saying and perhaps they forgot all about the money that they put away for years in an old shirt.

Just for safekeeping, they lost the money by forgetting it and they ought to put that cash in the bank.

[MOVIEGEEK]

He bought it at the Goodwill store. the shirt and it's contents are his now.

I agree,finders keepers.There's no way Goodwill could track where they got the shirt.It's the same as an estate or storage auction,they're closed bids and the contents could be worth $0-1,000's.

[smearbrick1]

I would keep it and use it for coke and whore money.

[Roundabout]

Talking about honesty, damn!

Honest couple turns in $42,000

TWO RIVERS, Wis. - Honesty prevailed when a couple turned in $42,000 they found in a folder on the road and turned it over to police.

Christopher Dondlinger and his wife, Cheryl, were driving to Cheryl's 8:15 a.m. appointment at a local clinic Thursday when he spotted a folder in the road.

"I thought maybe some child dropped it in the street and maybe we would find some children's drawings," he said. "I opened it up and found a substantial amount of money." A total of $42,240 in cash and checks, to be exact.

They never considered keeping the money, Christopher Dondlinger said: "We were not brought up that way."

As an officer counted the folder's contents, authorities received a call from the woman who lost it - an accountant for a local fast-food company.

Police speculate she had set it on the roof of her car and drove off.

[jimmalenko]

I wouldn't return it.



You left it, you lost it ....

[Kunta Kinte]

I would. Wendy's could use every dime they make these days.