Found $ What would you have done?

[EarlyandLate]

I found a folded $100 bill in the middle of the cereal aisle in Walmart. I picked it up and checked adjacent aisles for anyone who looked likely to have lost it. The store was not very busy. Then I went up front and asked the register manager if anyone had reported lost money. She seemed completely unconcerned and told me to ask at the service desk. I waited in the line and got nothing from the service desk lady. I waited around up front for about 20 minutes to see if anyone looked panicked at the checkouts, but saw nothing. I waited as long as I could. I felt so bad that someone lost their grocery money. Would you have done anything different?
I'm thinking I'll donate it to a food bank.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyandLate .... I'm thinking I'll donate it to a food bank.

That would be a very nice thing to do.

[PaunchyPirate]

I think you did all that you should have been expected and probably more. Keep it or donate it as you are considering.

[Mr. Tightwad]

I found $60 on the ground about 2 months ago while walking my dog.

I found a $100 dollar bill in a restaurant about a month ago.

I still pick up any coins I see.

I keep all of it.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyandLate Would you have done anything different?

Nope, you did exactly what I would've done. Although I probably wouldn't have waited 20 minutes at the front of the store before giving up and heading home.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyandLate I'm thinking I'll donate it to a food bank.

Excellent idea.

[CRLLS]

You did what I would do. You tried as best you could, short of leaving your name, which I would not have done either.

[RunningBum]

When he was about 10 or 12 my son found a $100 bill in a gas station lot while we were traveling. It was right where he got out of the car door so the previous person probably dropped it getting in or out. We did something similar, looked around to see if anyone was frantically looking around for money. I don't recall if we asked the counter clerk. We didn't hang around nearly as long since whoever dropped it almost certainly was gone, unlike a Walmart shopper who might not realize it until checkout time later. I think you did your best to find the owner without inviting false claims for it.

[COcheesehead]

I was with my brother walking and we found $20 laying on the curb. Two woman were chatting nearby. My brother walked up to them and said, here, one of you dropped this. Made their day. Made mine too.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyandLate I found a folded $100 bill in the middle of the cereal aisle in Walmart. I picked it up and checked adjacent aisles for anyone who looked likely to have lost it. The store was not very busy. Then I went up front and asked the register manager if anyone had reported lost money. She seemed completely unconcerned and told me to ask at the service desk. I waited in the line and got nothing from the service desk lady. I waited around up front for about 20 minutes to see if anyone looked panicked at the checkouts, but saw nothing. I waited as long as I could. I felt so bad that someone lost their grocery money. Would you have done anything different? I'm thinking I'll donate it to a food bank.

I'd probably have left it where it was, pretending I didn't see it. The moral/ethical problem would then go to the next person to see it.

[athena53]

You tried enough. I would have donated it also.

[brucethebroker]

Curious if the amount of the find enters into what we do. Would OP have spent all that time looking for the owner if it was $1? $5? $10? Most likely not. I have never found $100, but have found $5, $10 and $20 plus numerous change and $1 bills. I have kept all of it.

I am too skeptical to ask clerks, etc, (anticipating padding a liar's pocket0. I would approach someone who was obviously looking for lost money on the floor, but that is it. I sure would not have spent time in line at the service counter (all good deeds are punished?).

Not a criticism, OP. I applaud your taking the time to find the owner. But My Mileage does Vary.

[Car-Guy]

With all the cameras in stores these days, I'm surprised they couldn't "try" to see who lost it.

[Ronstar]

I think OP did the right thing. Similar thing happened to us (our work survey crew in the early 1980's). One of us found a $100 bill in the parking lot of a grocery store after work. We went into the store and asked the manager if anyone had reported losing money. We didn't tell him the amount.

Nobody had reported missing money, so we gave the manager our phone number and told him to call us if someone showed up looking for lost money. Got a phone call a little later from a frantic lady saying that she had lost a lot of money. We asked her the amount and demonization. She said a single $100 bill. We drove back to the grocery store and gave her the money.

[CRLLS]

I have found a sizable Menards rebate ticket in their parking lot. I turned it in to the front counter.

On a different note, a few weeks Later I saw on my "USPS" informed delivery email that I had was getting my Menards rebate that day. When I checked the mailbox, it was not with my other mail. Somebody must have either pilfered it or it got delivered elsewhere. I called the Menards Rebate center to see what could be done. They saw it had not been used yet. They cancelled the one rebate and sent me a new one. That guy is going to be surprised to find out the card he stole was worthless.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRLLS I have found a sizable Menards rebate ticket in their parking lot. I turned it in to the front counter. On a different note, a few weeks Later I saw on my "USPS" informed delivery email that I had was getting my Menards rebate that day. When I checked the mailbox, it was not with my other mail. Somebody must have either pilfered it or it got delivered elsewhere. I called the Menards Rebate center to see what could be done. They saw it had not been used yet. They cancelled the one rebate and sent me a new one. That guy is going to be surprised to find out the card he stole was worthless.

For me, the "USPS" informed delivery email is only roughly accurate, sometimes the mail arrives a day early (before I'm told it will) or a day late. So I never worry until after the next day if the mail is important.

[Sunset]

OP - You did the right thing, more than many would do.

I found a single $50 bill in a parking lot once, of a mall, nobody around, no idea where the person went, so I kept it.

Once I found a purse in a shopping cart, in the literal middle of the parking lot and zero cars around it. I looked inside expecting to find an empty purse, but it was full of cash and stuff. I took it home, looked up the person, phoned them and eventually got the person who came right away.
I really didn't trust the store clerk to not skim a few $100 if it went to lost and found.

[MC Rider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar .... We asked her the amount and demonization. She said a single $100 bill. We drove back to the grocery store and gave her the money.

They do say money is the root of all evil.


I say finders keepers losers weepers.
I have been on both ends of it so...

[NW-Bound]

Found money ? I found several $K recently...




... but it was mine.

I forgot to update the balance of an MF account which does not have Quicken download access. And the dividend year-end payout had to be entered by hand, which I failed to do.

[marko]

BTD!!!

[rk911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby That would be a very nice thing to do.

+1^^^^^

other than turn it in to the local law you. did pretty much what i would've done.