Found wallet

[Mackenzie]

I found a woman's purse on the road, had all her cards and about twenty quid in it. I managed to get an address for her and posted it off (recorded delivery). Didn't hear a dicky bird from her, no thank you, no can I refund you your postage, nothing.

I now wish I hadn't have bothered.

 

[Deadly Danson]

This sounds very far fetched to me. What offence were they charged with?

The OP question appears to center around the morality of this but Is it ACTUALLY illegal to keep something you find? Where are the boundaries on this?

I've lost several wallets over the years and only once had one returned, minus the cash - which I kind of expected.

Theft. On CCTV they very clearly spotted that someone had dropped the money, waited till they were gone, picked it up, immediately changed it at the foreign exchange and went airside to catch their flight. Unfortunately for them, the person who lost their money came back to where he lost it, the CCTV was watched and the police called.

 

[Albion my Albion]

If the person had £1600 in his wallet then maybe he would have more money in a bank account. I would try and find an arab person who could translate where this person lives, saying I was trying to contact him, then I would try and get money out of his bank account. What's the difference? Stealing is stealing whether you take one 1p or a £1 million. If you take any money out of a wallet that is not yours is stealing. It's not your money and you took it without permission from the owner. Would you want your friends and relatives to see you take money out of a wallet that did not belong to you?

 

[spence]

This sounds very far fetched to me. What offence were they charged with?

The OP question appears to center around the morality of this but Is it ACTUALLY illegal to keep something you find? Where are the boundaries on this?

I've lost several wallets over the years and only once had one returned, minus the cash - which I kind of expected.

I'm with you on this. Find it unbelievable. The person realized he dropped his wallet and knew exactly where he did ? Nah not having that unless it was by a cash machine/phone box etc.

The police don't have time trawling through hours of CCTV for a minor offence like theft and i'm talking through experience aswell.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I found a woman's purse on the road, had all her cards and about twenty quid in it. I managed to get an address for her and posted it off (recorded delivery). Didn't hear a dicky bird from her, no thank you, no can I refund you your postage, nothing.

I now wish I hadn't have bothered.

Why? Just because the woman was not grateful for your effort does not make it the wrong thing to do. Maybe something happened to her, more bad luck, and she wasn't able to reward you for doing what you should have done in the first place.

 

[Justice]

Justify it to yourself however you like - if you'd have kept the cash / wallet in the OPs scenario, or if you found it 'walking the dog late at night' you'd be a thief, plain and simple. There's really no argument.

A tenner found on the pavement really isn't the same moral argument at all. There's no realistic way of that being returned to it's rightful owner.

What do mean justify it to myself Anyway I said the same amount didn't mention a wallet so next time read the post correctly before getting on your moral high horse.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Over the past few years, I've separately found a phone, and a bank card, and handed them in. About three weeks ago, we'd just pulled into B&Q car park, and my husband spotted a wallet on the ground alongside our car.
We opened it and there was the owners driving licence, so after we'd shopped, we drove straight to his address to deliver it to him. He wasn't even aware it was missing. I don't know if there was any money in it, because once we'd read the driving licence, that was all we needed to know.

You didn't mention a reward but I'm fairly sure you never expected one. It was simply the right thing to do.

 

[Weststander]

We came across a purse owned by a German women working in Brighton, a couple of years back, traced her and handed it back without pinching anything!

She thanked us, we didn't get a reward and didn't seek one. I'm pleased we did it.

 

[Hillian1]

So you handed it in to Burgess Hill police station? Hows the guy ever going to get it back now? He might have had a slim chance if you'd given it to the Airport police but that just seems like a waste of time to me.

That's £1600 Straight into May's pocket.

The Burgess Hill plod were going to contact Gatwick plod to let them know.

And if it isn't claimed it will go in my pocket not Mays. They actually gave me the choice of claiming it myself or the money going into Sussex police, I chose me.

 

[Insel affe]

Outside Gatwick North Terminal arrivals yesterday.

Inside was £850 in Sterling and 4000 of Saudi money, various cards with Arabic words.

What would you have done.

In my sky rocket and various post office visits to spread it out changing up and then burn the wallet

 

[Albion my Albion]

I'm with you on this. Find it unbelievable. The person realized he dropped his wallet and knew exactly where he did ? Nah not having that unless it was by a cash machine/phone box etc.

The police don't have time trawling through hours of CCTV for a minor offence like theft and i'm talking through experience aswell.

What's more important? The way that they were able to find the guy who stole the money or the fact that the person stole the money and made no attempt to return it? What difference does it make how they discovered the man and that he had taken the money and not tried to return it. If they had the thief on video picking up the money and the money was in his possession on the airplane then he was guilty of stealing and deserved to be arrested.

 

[nicko31]

Hand it in, we ain't Palace

 

[pearl]

The Poll at the moment shows 23% of NSC users as being a thief ..... shame on you!!!

making sure not to leave any prints, I'd keep the £s and toss the rest

 

[Thunder Bolt]

making sure not to leave any prints, I'd keep the £s and toss the rest

DNA can be left on leather.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

making sure not to leave any prints, I'd keep the £s and toss the rest

This is the strangest answer on the whole thread!

You'd steal the £850 sterling, and leave behind the other £800 in foreign notes? Why on earth would you do that!?

 

[pearl]

DNA can be left on leather.

good point

This is the strangest answer on the whole thread!

You'd steal the £850 sterling, and leave behind the other £800 in foreign notes? Why on earth would you do that!?

too much hassle

 

[Insel affe]

A few months ago I was walking the dog near my house when I found a mobile phone in the road. It was starting to rain and it was not a waterproof model.

I took it home and the owner rang me.... we arranged to meet about 10 minutes later. She was very thankful, as it was her business mobile and had all of her contacts etc on it.

A few days later she dropped a bottle of red wine and a card round. Nice gesture, and it reinforced the reason to do the right thing.

A bottle of wine does not cost £850 in cold hard cash on a Wednesday morning and the Brucey Bonus of foreign currency now does it....

I think I would accept the cash getting taken if I dropped my wallet.

 

[Durlston]

A few years ago when I was a teenager I would have kept it and blown it on booze down the pub but now I'd hand it in without a moment's hesitation. I'd be careful who I gave it to so I'd wait for a policeman, which shouldn't take too long at an airport.

I'd be distraught if I lost as much as that. Hope the poor fella gets his wallet back.

 

[Insel affe]

Take 50 quid and hand it in.

Why take 50 quid ?

I do not get that, if your getting guilt trips about taking it all and only take a "finders fee" your still taking, you don't get a pat on the back by the fairies for that you know, so it is clearly all or nothing.

 

[BN9 BHA]

The Poll at the moment shows 23% of NSC users as being a thief ..... shame on you!!!

Finding something and keeping it, different than stealing something out of someone's pocket.