I remember this distinctly from business law in college. Found property does NOT belong to the person who found it, until a rigorous effort is made by the authorities to find the owner. If that search fails, the finder gets to keep it.
“Found property does NOT belong to the person who found it, until a rigorous effort is made by the authorities to find the owner.”
Imagine if we applied that logic to the plot of “Lord of the Rings”.... it would make Sauron into the hero, just trying to get his rightful property back from thieving Frodo and his gang of crooks.
So I’m favoring the natural law of “finders keepers, losers weepers” I think.
“I remember this distinctly from business law in college. Found property does NOT belong to the person who found it, until a rigorous effort is made by the authorities to find the owner. If that search fails, the finder gets to keep it.”
Yeah, it’s really not a controversial issue. Alabama Title 13:
Section 13A-8-7
Theft of lost property in the first degree.
(a) The theft of lost property which exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) in value constitutes theft of lost property in the first degree.
(b) Theft of lost property in the first degree is a Class B felony.
Finder’s keepers isn’t really the law. And rightfully so.
“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.” That’s because the world is so much more perverted now. Nobody is doing anything wrong except the good guys. And if it’s in a BANK BAG, you KNOW it belongs to a business or the bank.
In the OLD DAYS, when I grew up, it was common knowledge. Parents taught you this stuff. Heck, even TV taught it! There is an Andy Griffith episode where Opie finds a wallet, and he gives it back to the owner, even after the deadline passed and he spent some of it. He returned what he bought so he could return all the money.