I found Money

Irish Guitarist · 27-02-2012 7:30pm

Years ago I saw a woman approaching me drop something which I thought was rubbish. I then looked down to see what she had dropped and it was a load of €50 notes rolled up. I didn't count them but judging by the thickness it felt like there could have been at least ten €50 notes. For a split second I thought "I could buy a nice guitar out of that" but then I ran after her and gave her the money.

If I bought something out of money that wasn't mine I think I'd always feel it was tainted.

I once dropped €50 in Superquinn and didn't notice until a woman pointed at it. Another time I left €20 in the Tesco self service checkout. I went back to the checkout and it was gone. I got outside and a man walked up to me and said "did you leave money behind?". I said "yes" and he handed me my €20.

It feels good to return something. It also feels good to get back something that you lost.

LizT · 27-02-2012 7:34pm

One time when I was younger, I was in a shop buying sweets. I paid with a pound and the woman gave me back 1.39 in change instead of 39p ( don't remember the exact amount). I told my mother when we went out to the car and she marched me back in and made me give the pound back in. It's just a question of morals. £1 was a lot of money to me back then but I learned a big lesson.

Another day, I was walking back to school ( I was about 16-17 at the time) and I found 100e on the street. I brought it down to the garda station and they took my details. Lo and behold a year later I got a call telling me no one had claimed the money and I could come down and get it. Just had to come down and sign the form and the money was mine. I admit, I did guess that no one would probably claim the money but I felt it was better to at least try to do the right thing.

Biggins · 27-02-2012 7:44pm

Got a taxi a little while ago and I was mentioned this topic.
Asked do they get a lot of stuff found and the driver (he was the head of the large taxi company) said "yes but its always handed into the office, if only for that the person that might lose it, might accuse one of his drivers of keeping it and they ring within 5/10 minutes of it being lost and the driver who's taxi the item was in, takes it and doesn't own up and then he/she is quickly caught out or at least left with a cloud of suspicion over their head!"

Anyway, he mentioned that recently one elderly lady lost her camera (standard compact job, worth about €100.) Found in cab, handed into office and a few days later they got a ring to ask if one was found?
Bingo. It was returned.
As it turned out, the camera had some precious wedding photos of family that were home for a wedding they were all at and had the camera not been found and handed in, they would have lost a lot of pics of which they might not have been able to take again as some of the family would not in likelihood be this side of the water, in Europe for some time and was returning back to the USA.

The lady got her camera back and and I suspect the cab firm got another loyal customer from here on in - along with a good even better name/rep' because lord knows, people like to talk!

mysteries1984 · 27-02-2012 7:44pm

I'd hand it in. If someone else keeps it, that's not my issue. I know I've done the right thing. €300 is a lot of money to me, and probably more to someone else.

You call it being on your high horse. I call it being honest.

phill106 · 27-02-2012 7:53pm

You should have made some effort to find the owner, and after a suitable period of notice, spent it.
My wife lost a large sum of money last year. Like your find it was 50 euro notes, fresh from the credit union. Stuck it in her pocket but it fell out between two locations in our local town.
Went everywhere, couldnt find it, resigned to losing the money when we got a call from the chap that found it. He had gone into the management office of the shopping centre that she lost it and left his details after I had already been there. Every note was there!
Even before this incident i would always hand in money if i found it, even when I was short on cash, and will continue to do so.

Bullchomper · 27-02-2012 7:54pm

Karma has nothing to do with it, it's empathy. Imagine if you had lost it. Think about how you would feel. Think about how delighted you would be if someone handed it in for you. Act accordingly.

AngeGal · 27-02-2012 8:16pm

Fran1985 wrote: »

no my point was that everyone's arguement so far has been that someone is at home crying and starving, and sitting in the dark with no electricity, possibly going to be evicted...etc cos the OP was keeping the money.
No-one here knows who owns the money and for all we know, it could be any of the above. Just wanted to know if people would feel the same about the OP keeping it, if it was seanie, bertie or a builder. Thats all. But as i said, OP wont know until he goes looking to see who owns it, with a few shop notices.

You think all builders have caused the same amount of damage as the other two?????

danslevent · 27-02-2012 8:20pm

I found someone's camera before. Went to an awful amount of effort trying to get it back to the person. Had to go through the pictures and eventually one of my friends recognised someone in it and it eventually made it's way back to the owner. No word of a lie, she barely said thanks. I would still always return things I found but that experience has left me bitter!

cartell_best · 27-02-2012 9:18pm

Make the world a better place...you know what I'm saying!

Il Trap · 27-02-2012 10:10pm

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Years ago I saw a woman approaching me drop something which I thought was rubbish. I then looked down to see what she had dropped and it was a load of €50 notes rolled up. I didn't count them but judging by the thickness it felt like there could have been at least ten €50 notes. For a split second I thought "I could buy a nice guitar out of that" but then I ran after her and gave her the money.

If I bought something out of money that wasn't mine I think I'd always feel it was tainted.

I once dropped €50 in Superquinn and didn't notice until a woman pointed at it. Another time I left €20 in the Tesco self service checkout. I went back to the checkout and it was gone. I got outside and a man walked up to me and said "did you leave money behind?". I said "yes" and he handed me my €20.

It feels good to return something. It also feels good to get back something that you lost.

Nothing to do with money, but my dog who had been missing for four days was returned to me by a farmer whose chickens the dog had killed. He could have shot the dog but figured somebody would be missing him. The most amazing feeling in the world to get the phonecall to say 'I have your dog'. Many wouldn't be so considerate but it was very much appreciated.

Once I found forty quid inside a book I bought in a charity shop. Was tough giving the money back into the shop but I wouldn't feel right about keeping something like that.

[Deleted User] · 27-02-2012 10:22pm

I once found 250 euro in an envelope and was humming and hawwing about whether to keep it or not, I decided to drop it into the post office the next day and it turned out to be some old dear's pension.

She gave me 20 and said I was a credit to my mother

Bought a score of hash with my winnings. Result.

jluv · 27-02-2012 10:56pm

Shane.C wrote: »

It's annoying how the OP has blatant disregard for the morals of An Gardai Siochana, especially the idea of them only taking it anyways!

I found myself in a similar situation a few months ago.

I found an iPod touch in Eyre Square, used my usb connection to log onto my laptop, checked user information, got the email address, emailed the owner and within a day or two she got it back and was delighted.

And I bet the feeling you got from doing that was worth a lot more than an I Pod touch! Love hearing things like this..:)

hondasam · 27-02-2012 11:00pm

four18 wrote: »

Before you all jump up on your Moral high ground, Yes I am going to keep it. 6x50 euro in a white envelope. Its either me or the guard I hand it to at the station, and dont be telling me any different. I hate types that tell me to hand it in and probably rob stuff in work or live at home and hand up a pittance every week for their keep. AND if you still live at home, have the guts to share how much you hand up each week...Washing ironing, hot water, evening meal, open all hours fridge etc !! internet etc.

Hand it into the Garda station, they will give you a receipt, If no one claims it after a year it's yours.
I know it's tempting to keep it but think of the person lost it, how would you feel if it was you.
Do the right thing, hand it in.

SteelyDanJalapeno · 27-02-2012 11:03pm

Op, I just posted this on facebook, as I was worried that it could of been anyone of my friends that are now out of pocket,

so far 13 of them have lost 300 euro in a white envelope today, this is more common than you expect.

kirving · 27-02-2012 11:08pm

Someone I know found a good few hundred quid in an envelope and handed it into a Garda station. They are obliged to go through the necessary procedues.

Over a year later, when noone claimed the money, the Gardai called him back and handed over the money to be spent with the knowledge that they did their best to get it back to the owner.

Sound OP.

tayto lover · 27-02-2012 11:15pm

You don't even have to hand it into a Garda Station at all. Just ring and tell them you found a sum of money (don't say how much), give them your name and address, phone number and rough area of where found.
Then you can sleep easy.

charlemont · 27-02-2012 11:26pm

four18 wrote: »

Before you all jump up on your Moral high ground, Yes I am going to keep it. 6x50 euro in a white envelope. Its either me or the guard I hand it to at the station, and dont be telling me any different. I hate types that tell me to hand it in and probably rob stuff in work or live at home and hand up a pittance every week for their keep. AND if you still live at home, have the guts to share how much you hand up each week...Washing ironing, hot water, evening meal, open all hours fridge etc !! internet etc.

Hey, That was Ciara's money, John Dundon's gonna hunt you down..:D

sunflower27 · 27-02-2012 11:50pm

If anyone lost an umbrella on a JJ Kavanaghs bus today, PM me because I have it. It was sitting on the seat when I got on and it was raining when I got to my destination a few hours later. So I used it.

Happy to post it on if anyone did lose it and can PM and describe it. If not, I'll keep it

fend · 28-02-2012 1:16am

OP I would absolutly have kept it. In fact im kicking myself I didnt find it first.
Like someone said before, if found in a shop/taxi etc then maybe I would hand it in, but on the street? In an envelope? Finders Keepers I say.

mehfesto · 28-02-2012 1:24am

I found a grand in a wallet the day before xmas eve. Returned it as found.
Found his business card inside and called him.

Miserable bastard wanted me to go to his with it, didn't offer anything (you *have* to at least offer) and never said thank you. I told the guys in work and when I mentioned his name, one of them said it was typical of him- turns out he's a wealthy man and runs some business'/dance schools in Dublin's city centre.

Next time, I'm doing more research...

Sound Bite · 28-02-2012 1:28am

I wouldn't keep it, reason posted before on another thread

Sound Bite wrote: »

Years ago in college I lost an envelope containing our rent. There was 6 of us in the house at the time & if I remember correctly it was E1800. Discovered it was missing and was agonising over how to tell housemates or my parents. Knew housemates weren't going to pay again & knew the parents would have to bail me out & would not be impressed. It was in a sealed envelope only marked rent & house number and estate.

It was a Friday evening so I decided I'd by time until Sunday night when then came back. Bout 10pm that night, another student called to the door that evening having found it. To say i was shocked at his honesty was an understatement. I insisted on giving him my share around 300. Obviously he was delighted, told me he could badly do with it and had seriously considered keeping it but his conscience wouldn't let him in the end.

Knowing what that meant to me, I'd always return it to the owner if I could find them. I wouldn't enjoy anything I'd spent it on.

VagnerLove · 28-02-2012 2:23am

don't even think about handing it in, man.

you've found it. you're a lucky bastard. now you should go and spend it on some crazy shit.

good luck.

inagoodway · 28-02-2012 2:29am

keep it op, let it be your thirty pieces of silver
:pac:

Duck Soup · 28-02-2012 2:54am

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Years ago I saw a woman approaching me drop something which I thought was rubbish. I then looked down to see what she had dropped and it was a load of €50 notes rolled up. I didn't count them but judging by the thickness it felt like there could have been at least ten €50 notes. For a split second I thought "I could buy a nice guitar out of that" but then I ran after her and gave her the money.

If I bought something out of money that wasn't mine I think I'd always feel it was tainted.

I once dropped €50 in Superquinn and didn't notice until a woman pointed at it. Another time I left €20 in the Tesco self service checkout. I went back to the checkout and it was gone. I got outside and a man walked up to me and said "did you leave money behind?". I said "yes" and he handed me my €20.

It feels good to return something. It also feels good to get back something that you lost.

Something very similar happened to me last year in Baggot Street. I was crossing the road and waiting in the central reservation, halfway across. Next to me was a young Chinese woman pushing a buggy. Something fell off the buggy and I bent down to pick it up. Just at that point, the little green man light came up and off goes the woman. I'm trying to see what she's dropped and belatedly get across the road. It was a decent wedge - maybe wages or social welfare for the week - and I quickly scurried after her. Initially, she was a bit wary when I stopped her, but her face turned to shock when I explained what she had just dropped.

The OP might say "Well, you knew exactly who had lost it." True enough, but I also found a handbag on the street in Kimmage last year - no money, but a phone, scarf and umbrella. I was off to work and couldn't hang around, so I called the last number dialed and said something along the lines of "You don't know me but if a friend has lost her phone then I've found it and it's in the [name of shop near where I found it] behind the counter. A woman in her 60s turned up later; she'd been particularly worried about the phone, which was an old yoke but obviously had all her numbers and messages on it.

In both instances, whether it's pretty much no bother or takes a bit of effort, I wanted to get the money/belongings back to their owners. Not because of some notion of karma, but because (a) it's the right thing to do and (b) I can look at myself in the mirror and think I'm a half-way decent human being and not a complete bollix. The justification/self-justification of "The money could have belonged to a drug dealer/Seanie Fitzpatrick/a Satanic coven of pedophiles" doesn't really hold much water. Even all 3 groups combined statistically make up the tiniest fraction of the population. Chances are screamingly, overwhelmingly that it's just an ordinary man or woman who's missing the money and facing a tough time because of losing it. And that's why finding out to whom lost money or valuables belong is the right thing to do.

Godsentme · 28-02-2012 5:10am

you louser OP. at least put a text into local radio "Sum of money found".etc.
Someone just got that out of the credit union (white envelope!) to pay some very important bill. You don't know.

Now if it was a brown envelope (politician!) you COULD keep it and sleep good.

inagoodway · 28-02-2012 5:13am

on a honda ****in 50??

Tekken · 28-02-2012 6:11am

I believe the word to describe the ops actions is "theft"

hattoncracker · 28-02-2012 6:18am

You know what would be karma? If it was really drug money? But it was a drop, and you just walked up and took the money while the dealers were watching from their cars...

I know in the states that a lot of people who find sums of money like this hand it in because they're terrified of who it belongs to.

Hope you're kneecaps are still intact in the morning OP. Or, you know, not..

mercenary2 · 28-02-2012 7:06am

four18 wrote: »

I am keeping it, What would you suggest ? Garda station ? Not paying for a garda to go to coppers tonight. Would any of you pocket it ? be honest !

depends on were i found it on the street i would be asking myself now what can i get....,but I did find €250 on floor in shop with post office in it ,on my way into shop i had noticed all the pensioners lined up to get their state pension so yes i handed that in ,felt like the right thing to do at the time

IrishEyes19 · 28-02-2012 7:08am

Why our country is in such a mess is becoming more and more apparent everyday. :rolleyes:

Ring the local radio station or support a local charity or Go into the nearest shop, give your details, and explain the situation but hold onto the money until someone calls you back. Or go to the Garda who do actually have to follow procedures, and follow up on it to see if anyone claimed it.

Keeping it is just scummy.

I found Money

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