City of Dallas keeps $2000 found by honest teen

WFAA.com ^ | May 10, 2011 | CRAIG CIVALE

[NeverForgetBataan]

DALLAS — Dallas will keep $2,000 found by a teenager in a parking lot last February.

The money will go into the city's general fund — not back to Plano high school student Ashley Donaldson, who found the cash in an envelope at the Pavillion Shopping Center in North Dallas.

"I don't regret making the decision I did," she said. "I feel proud of myself for giving the money back. It's one of the biggest decisions of my life."

The 15-year-old Shepton High School student spotted the money on the ground and took it to a nearby Chase Bank.

Over the last three months, the bank and Dallas police have tried to find the owner, but have had no luck.

On Tuesday, police said under a new city policy, the unclaimed money will go into Dallas' general fund — not back to the person who found it, as in years past.

[Persevero]

No, not stupid. Naive.

Were I to find money in that town I’d put up a flyer or something and wait for a believeable person to call me with the right amount. After a few days it would be mine unless properly claimed.

I sure would not involve the police.

[Outlaw Woman]

LOL!!

[Always Independent]

They will probably want to tax her for it as income.

[Sprite518]

Yes THAT is what government does. The kid should have kept the money.

[jonascord]

"If I find food, I was taught that it's best to test it on a politician or a dog, first."

What have you got against dogs? Use a politician's family. They are a lower form of life than a dog, or some of the smarter bugs, and of far less use to society. They just BELIEVE that they are not leeches on the groin of humanity.

Anyone who would linger around the slug who runs for office, expecting to benefit from his/her/it's droppings, forfeits any respect.

[LittleBillyInfidel]

I can’t believe it took 40 posts on FR before somebody got it right versus the general sense here that it be turned in. What sense does it make to risk turning it over, rather than report it, if the finder already knows he/she will have the integrity to do the right thing? In relinquishing control, they are further risking the rightful owner’s property.

Hopefully a young 15 year old just became a bit more conservative.

[jonascord]

The City OWNS you, your property, and every other person who lives within It's grasp. You don't think so? Try not paying your property tax.

You're renting your house, car and freedom from the City. They throw you a bone by letting you drink, flush and drive, AFTER they "pay" four times the actual cost, not including kick-backs, to build, to someone's brother-in-law, for water pipes and streets.

[HiTech RedNeck]

How about to the party whose property it was upon? The shopping center?

[hattend]

On Tuesday, police said under a new city policy, the unclaimed money will go into Dallas' general fund — not back to the person who found it, as in years past.

A new city policy that was implemented on Monday

What a f'd up society we've become. Honest, law abiding, people get screwed again.

[Sacajaweau]

The City will save on paperwork because no one will ever turn in anything again.

[Sacajaweau]

Maybe the ideal would be for 1000 City folks to bring in a penny they found on the ground and make the cops write up a report for each penny.

[Portcall24]

Here’s a news story. Sprinkle some $100 bills around the police station and see how many get turned in. Use a nanny cam to video tape for evidence.

[Venturer]

Government theft-—Nothing more, nothing less.

[Red in Blue PA]

(I used this for obama in a prior thread, but this seems applicable too)

[The Louiswu]

Last year I found $200 in a parking lot of a hobby show. I reported the find (not the exact amount) to the show organizers and gave them my phone number. About an hour later I got a phone call and the caller was able to give me a very close estimate of the money lost. I sent them back the cash and they rewarded me with 3 very expensive model kits, easily worth 2/3rds of what they had misplaced.

I did not seek a reward, my thought was that I wanted to return the money to the rightful owner. Doing the right thing should be it's own reward and it is.

[comps4spice]

In the eyes of government (local, state, fed; they are all the same) it doesn’t matter who found the money. All money is believed to be theirs.

[JSDude1]

Lets just let them (greedy government) confiscate 100% of all our money and assets and be done with it- I for one welcome our Soviet masters..

[DH]

What an absolute idiot! I’m speechless....

[Theophilus]

At the rate of inflation that’s coming, it wouldn’t be worth the effort to bend over and pick it up anyway. They just didn’t want to disappoint her.

[TexasRepublic]

I once found a fat wallet full of cash in a parking lot — no I.D. of any kind. I went into the store and left my name with the manager. I said anyone asking for it would have to tell me the kind of wallet, the color, and what was in the wallet. After 30 days, I considered the money as mine.