£60k found floating in waterway!!

viv1969 said:
As an aside.....my brother is a police officer of 30 years.
His advice was "for heavens sake don't hand it to the police"
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He should know better, he's advised you to break the law. Pathetic and dishonest but I dare say you enjoyed it so job done!!
 
BRASH said:
Your duty id to hand it to the Police. The fact you don't care makes it worse!!
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That - like I said if its a small amount (sub 5 quid) I'd probably give it to charity as the police aren't going to waste time recording pennies, but 800 euro's (that's what - about 600 quid) - definitely needs handing in to the police or at least owning up to and publicising. The advice not to is cynical - oh well they'll probably nick it (though in this day and age they almost certainly won't) stuff , but regardless of whether they are honest or not , deciding to keep it because some else may steal it if you don't is a very weak self justification.

I once found a wallet with about 300 quid in it in 20s and no ID - I posted a Wallet found, description secures type notice locally, and the owner came forward (he described the wallet and told me how much was in it without seeing it) , I gave him the wallet and he opened it and gave me £100 as a thankyou for being so honest - I'd far rather have that and the good feeling than £300 and the guilt of being light fingered ,
 
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viv1969 said:
Yes, of course you would.
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I would because I'm not a Thief. Believe it or not I don't give a toss but I try to live my life by a certain set of standards, morals and ethics and one of them is not to steal. Fact. Deal with it!!!
 
BRASH said:
I would because I'm not a Thief. Believe it or not I don't give a toss but I try to live my life by a certain set of standards, morals and ethics and one of them is not to steal. Fact. Deal with it!!!
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Righty oh.....of course.
 
BRASH said:
I would because I'm not a Thief. Believe it or not I don't give a toss but I try to live my life by a certain set of standards, morals and ethics and one of them is not to steal. Fact. Deal with it!!!
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Good on you (although you've probably confused the hell out of a lot of people by not conforming to sterotype)

Of course its expecting a bit much that everyone will be as upstanding, not everyone is as honest as you after all.
 
big soft moose said:
Good on you (although you've probably confused the hell out of a lot of people by not conforming to sterotype)

Of course its expecting a bit much that everyone will be as upstanding, not everyone is as honest as you after all.
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That's the problem, stereotyping but I kinda expect that ignorance. It's been happening for over 40 years now so you get used to it. Doesn't mean I need to accept it tho.

It does hack me off people trying to justify their criminal actions but yer right we don't live in a perfect world and a lot of folk just don't have the outlook I have. Greed and selfishness I suppose. Sad indictment of our society.

I've done a lot of messed up things in my life, usually for the right reasons at the time or so I thought and I've been no angel but hand on heart, I've never so much a stolen a Mars Bar from the local sweet shop and that IS a fact!! I was brought up in a working class environment by hard working class parents and taught to do the right thing. I still try to live my life in the way my parents would have wanted. I've not always got it right but hey ho, I've tried.
 
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Yep , ive done a lot of messed up crap in my life too, but again I try to live to the same sort of code... I can't say I've never stolen anything, because during a particularly messed up period I did, but I can say I went back to the person I stole from, admitted it and made it right with them later.

I'd say we started going wrong with a certain politician in the early 80s and "theres no such thing as society" - if there's no such thing as society then its every man for himself, lets lie, cheat, steal and tread on those weaker than ourselves... or not
 
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Handed in to police station, paperwork done, not claimed in 30 days, yours with a clear conscience. simple. (y)

....or claimed by rightful owner within 30 days and you have done the right thing. :shrug:
 
oddly the police never did return that big wax wrapped ball of cocaine my mate found on a Cornish beach , we must chase that up with them :LOL:
 
big soft moose said:
oddly the police never did return that big wax wrapped ball of cocaine my mate found on a Cornish beach , we must chase that up with them :LOL:
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Snnnniiiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
 
Surely with finding a large amount of cash there must be the expectation that it belongs to someone and is unlikely to have been abandoned. So by not reporting it or handing it in to the authorities it becomes theft (by finding).

Any (honest) lawyers in the house?
 
Strictly speaking keeping anything that doesnt belong to you is theft (theft by finding is not a specific offence, its just theft under the '68 theft act defined as- dishonestly appropriating the property of another with the intention of permanently depriving them of it)

It is however a statuatory defence to say that no owner could be identified despite taking all reasonable steps to do so (reasonable steps with a large ammount of cash would include handing it in at the police station )

It is also a defence to say that you had a reasonable expectation that the owner would approve of you keeping/dusposing of it... this covers finding a £1 and chucking it in a charity tin , as most people would realise there was no practical way of returning it to them and approve of that as a way of disposing of it 'honestly'
 
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cambsno said:
Have to say I would rescue what I can and keep. Call it karma, but at times I have 'done the right thing' and its bitten me so am now more cynical and will take an opportunity like this. DIfferent story if it was a wallet I found, would always try to chase owner or hand in (unless it was the CEO of an energy company!)
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same for me really. a wallet or other clearly personal item, hand it in no question. but bags of money floating down a river - either keep it for myself and put it to good use or hand it in so it can no doubt go into someone's pocket (who probably doesn't need it anyway) or just get laundered back into the state - i know which i'd choose.
 
theres a lot of cobblers talked about the police keeping stuff thats handed in... this may have been true, once , but these days it just doesnt happen. If you find something valuable and hand it in at the police station you are given a receipt, and then after a reasonable period of time ( I think 60 days though i cant absolutely remember) if it isnt claimed, it can be retuirned to you (assuming its not of illicit nature such as drugs or weaponry).

While there is of course the theoretical possibility of a dirty cop claiming its been claimed but actually trousering it, in these days of department of proffesional standards witch hunts, and accountability, that just doesnt happen.. who is going to risk their career and pension so needlessly (not bo mention going to jail, which is the last place a cop wants to end up)
 
i didn't mean the police kept it, I meant whatever happens afterwards, i.e., being diluted into the state and becoming worthless or being given to someone or some company that in the grand scheme of things doesn't need it.

i'd be surprised if 60K was just returned to you after some time of it going unclaimed, which I'm sure would never happen.

With 60K I could do amazing things, which over time would grow and help all kinds of people in both indirect and direct ways. No I wouldn't just squander it on a fancy car and drugs...
 
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60K would be traceable (by serial numbers etc) unless it was the proceeds of crime , so the point would be moot - I was thinking more of the E800 ruth was talking about finding ad keeping
 
Of course you would.
 
If I found wallet id hand it in, a big polythene bag stuffed full of £20 notes with no id etc ( how many businesses etc do you know carry 1000's of pounds in £20 in a clear plastic bag? Hmmm ) would be coming home with me without a doubt - if that makes me a so called thief id be a bloody happy thieft.
 
big soft moose said:
60K would be traceable (by serial numbers etc) unless it was the proceeds of crime , so the point would be moot - I was thinking more of the E800 ruth was talking about finding ad keeping
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Would it? Not saying I can withdraw £60K at an ATM, but does it know what notes I took out today (Other 4 x 20 and 2 x10)
 
Putting aside the stealing fact, I'd hand it in anyway - a large sum of money having been left somewhere is, more than likely, "dirty" money and I'd not be interested tbh. Even if I did find it acceptable to steal, the paranoid android in me would be worried that it was dirty money and it would somehow be traced back to me :D

Oh... and it's stealing.
 
nilagin said:
Apparently not...................................According to some.:LOL:
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An honest thief??:rolleyes: They do say there's honour among them:shrug:. Yeh, of course they doo_Oo_O
 
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Lynton said:
Would it? Not saying I can withdraw £60K at an ATM, but does it know what notes I took out today (Other 4 x 20 and 2 x10)
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no , but if you withdraw 60k the bank is likely to keep a record of serials (not least because they'd probably need to order it in specially) - so if its clean money it will be traceable , if its dirty you don't want it in your possession anyway
 
big soft moose said:
no , but if you withdraw 60k the bank is likely to keep a record of serials (not least because they'd probably need to order it in specially) - so if its clean money it will be traceable , if its dirty you don't want it in your possession anyway
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I doubt it...and most banks will not allow you to do a cash w/d of that amount anyway.

£60k, even in £50 notes is a fair amount of money, and more than many local bank branches hold for general distribution.
 
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~Sam~ said:
I doubt it...and most banks will not allow you to do a cash w/d of that amount anyway.

£60k, even in £50 notes is a far amount of money, and more than many local bank branches hold.
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exactly , so it would have to specially arranged in advance, the money ordered in, and thus would be recorded. The likely sources of that much money being abandoned would be a) forgeries , b) a robbery gone bad or c) money for proceeds of crime such as drug dealing. - either way not something you want to be caught with later
 
Anyone want to withdraw a grand in cash, get the bank to record the note numbers then hand it in to plod?
 
and the point of that would be what ? , the police arent going to proactively identify it (at those levels they might with 60k) , but the bank having a note of the serials would enable you to claim it by proving it was your withdrawal - chances are that anyone who loses a grand (or 60 grand) is going to report it unless its dodgy
 
Time was when I was scrupulously honest as I thought I may gain in some way, but as I grow older and more cynical, I am distinctly aware what the meek shall inherit.

These days, if it was a substantial sum and I thought there was a reasonable chance of getting away with it, then...
 
Here's one from back in my Uni days - Swansea 1990.....

My girlfriend and I were shopping in a supermarket and we were really skint.

I spotted a purse on the floor and (being crowded) I pointed it out to her and waited till nobody was about.

I'm not sure what I planned to do other than pick it up but out of the blue a middle aged bloke picked it up and tossed it into his trolly. We followed him round into the next aisle to see him hand the trolly to his wife, pocket the purse and head out of the building.

I went straight to the security guard near the entrance / exit and told him what we'd seen before carrying on with our shopping.

About 15 mins later we were approached by two police men and the security guard to say that they had stopped the man who admitted lifting it.

Cut a long story short - I was led to a back room where (with the police) a lovely old lady thanked me. She said she only had ten pounds in her purse. She offerd me the £10 and I declined. She was worried sick about loosing some family photographs.

The police asked me if I could spare half an hour or so to make a statement and ID the bloke. I agreed but explained that I'd have to let my girlfriend know as she was still doing our shopping. The supermarket manager told me to go and tell my girlfriend to finish our shopping as it would be 'on the house'.....

:beer:

Needless to say our humble £10 basket became a £250 trolly.

I still don't know to this day what I would have done with that tenner had I picked up that purse :(
 
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