NEED ADVICE: Found Money (vanity)

12/9/05 | NYCynic

[NYCynic]

After work this afternoon I found a small wad of cash on the train platform. I was thinking of putting up a flyer that says something to the effect of: "Found Money on Friday afternoon. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx, identify amount to claim. If not claimed by Christmas will donate to my church."

Has anyone been in this situation before? How did you handle it? This is New York after all and part of me doesn't want to deal with all of the potential fraudsters. I should just donate it straight away, but I really want to make sure it gets back to its rightful owner.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris

[paulat]

It was mine... I can identify it... it was green, and had pictures of dead presidents on them.

Sorry...they were all ten-dollar-bills....

....(Alexander Hamilton)

[Fruitbat]

As if whomever lost it is ever gonna see your ad.

Merry Christmas!

[motzman]

"It's mine! My name?...It's, uh, Mr. Snrub, yes that's it --Snrub!"

[Publius Valerius]

damn straight. I was surprised that, especially here of all places, the number of folks that said (apparently in earnest) that he should keep this money.

[Hildy]

I think it's important how much you consider a wad to be...but if it is substantial, this is what I would do....create a new web address through yahoo or google or whatever. JUST FOR THIS, so you can cancel it after. I would put an ad in the paper...lost and found...just say money found on train platform...email this address:________________ with amount and which train platform and I will contact you if I did find your money. I'd run it twice and then if no correct responses, hey, it's yours...finders keepers. You don't have to donate it, ya know....

[Hildy]

It's Christmas time, I don't think it would be too unusual for people to be carrying around large amounts of cash to buy gifts with.

[Petronski]

It was mine... I can identify it... it was green, and had pictures of dead presidents on them.

Sorry, it was all in tens and hundreds.

[wideminded]

I wouldn't turn it over to the police in NYC. Don't live there, but I've heard too many bad stories over the years. I like your original idea, although I agree with #24 that you should not say what was lost. One problem is that the person who lost the money probably has no clue where they dropped it.

[wideminded]

The following happened to me once: I found a wallet in a potted plant outside a grocery store. It contained a fair amount of cash plus credit cards, ID, etc. I planned to leave the wallet at the store, but I figured I'd better notify the owner to make sure they got their goods back. The ID was of a female doctor. I looked her up in the phone book and it turned out she was a sex therapist.

Unfortunately that is as exciting as this story gets.

[mad_as_he$$]

No it's mine - It had Franklin's portrait on every bill!

Keep it.

[mad_as_he$$]

Love those Commonwealths.

[cyborg]

I found $120 at my job once. I turned it in and seven days later it was mine. Hence, i'd post a found sign with a contact number and if no one called after seven days, I'd rip the sign down and that would be it.

[Porterville]

Give it to charity or spend it on yourself. If it belongs to the government or a drug dealer, which it probably does, it is yours morally.

[wireman]

Merry Christmas!!!

[Doctor Stochastic]

Rent a PO box. The owner can get his money back by identifying it by serial numbers.

[Kokojmudd]

Was there an unsavory character nearby being dragged off by the authorities? If so, the wad of bills may have dropped from his pocket and could very well be counterfeit.
It that is the case you may try looking up an oriental fellow named O'Toole....he runs a bar in Juarez, Mexico called O'Tooles. He might make you an offer but watch out! And don't accept any drinks from any well built expatriate dames or you might end up in slave labor camps forced to build roads and dig ditches and so on.

[tubebender]

Putting up a flier in some towns will get you a citation and I doubt many people read them anyway...

[Doctor Stochastic]

If this happens, especially overseas, watch out for the Turkey Drop scam.

[Revolting cat!]

Unfortunately that is as exciting as this story gets.

In other words, you blew it and she didn't!

[dbehsman]

About 15 years ago, I walked into the hallway of my local bank in a small town that I was living in. On the shelf by the cash machine, there was a purse. I looked inside, found the wallet with the gals name and address in it. I knew where the house was though I did not know the person who lived there. I simply drove the purse up to the place and dropped off the purse to the surprised lady. She was very nice and offered a reward which I refused immediately. I suppose in hind sight I should probably have dropped off the purse to the police station. Later, the thought crossed my mind that someone could have seen me walking out of a bank with a ladies purse and assumed that I had stolen it. But everything worked out good in that scenario.

About ten years ago, I walked into the hallway of my local bank in a different small town that I was living in. In the bin of the cash machine, someone had left a $20.00 bill. I did my transaction and took the twenty home with me. The next morning I called up the bank and spoke with some gal who sounded like she was pretty young. I told what happened, and I thought that it SHOULD be a relatively simply matter to find out who left the money there. She at first I think was taken aback that someone would even call in the first place. She said I should just keep it. I did leave my name with her and my number in case if anybody called, but I think this gal was just annoyed with having to take a phone call. I don't know for sure, but I got the impression that she thought I was some type of weirdo. In any event I ultimately kept the twenty, but I was a little disgusted that the teller had no sense of even trying to return the money back to the rightful owner. In hind sight I probably should have called the manager and spoke with them, but that conversation probably would have ended on an even worse note! It's hard to do the right thing some times with the little cooperation out there.

In your case, I would advise to call the station manager and let them know that you found some money. If anyone calls asking for it, then the manager can call you.