i have a dilemma

DriftEd

I found a wallet at work. No ID just cash. Co worker said he would take care of it. Later in the day gives me half the cash. I still have it but dont know if I should keep it or how to handle the situation in general. I cant give it back. I dont want to get him in trouble. I dont want to get in trouble and worst of all I feel bad for whoever lost the money. I kind of had a felling that this person was going to keep the cash but I didnt want to deal with it...I guess I learned my lesson. Question is, what to do?

Newch91

I'd say talk to your worker, say it isn't good to keep the cash, both of you should return the cash and wallet and post a sign or ad up in your office and around the office building.

unlost dogs

Oh, you can't keep that. You have to try to find the owner. And if you can't, donate it. That's just really bad karma otherwise...

touchme.imdick

Despite what your coworkers does, its just the right thing to try to find its owner to the best of your ability; only then if you never find its rightful owner should you keep it or, maybe donate it if you still feel crummy for keeping it. That money may have been the only money someone had for groceries or gas for the week.

gimmesometruth27

ask yourself this question.

if it were your wallet, would you hope that whoever found it would work hard to find you and deliver it to you with all of the content still in the wallet?

your answer to that question should tell you what to do.

blackredyellow

It's tough with no ID... you can post a sign at your work or something, or even a "found" craigslist ad.

If it were me, I'd make that effort, and if no one came forward in a couple of weeks, I would consider it found money and keep it.

You never know with finding a decent amount of money, it could be some filthy rich guy's pocket change that he would never miss, or someone's rent money or grocery money that they REALLY need to keep a roof over their head or to feed their family.

As far as your co-worker... not sure that I'd rat him out, I would probably take it as a lessoned learned and know going forward that he isn't the most trustworthy of people.

_

Aside from the moral obligation to do the right thing, I'd keep in mind that you could get fired for keeping the money. I've seen it happen many times. And I'd bet your co-worker gave you your "cut" so that if he went down (or if you were thinking of telling on him) he could take you down with him. ID or not, keeping money you found at your job is considered stealing. I would imagine they have some kind of policy about turning in things you find, whatever they are or whatever lack of ID is attached to them.

pandora

DriftEd wrote:

I found a wallet at work. No ID just cash. Co worker said he would take care of it. Later in the day gives me half the cash. I still have it but dont know if I should keep it or how to handle the situation in general. I cant give it back. I dont want to get him in trouble. I dont want to get in trouble and worst of all I feel bad for whoever lost the money. I kind of had a felling that this person was going to keep the cash but I didnt want to deal with it...I guess I learned my lesson. Question is, what to do?

I just have to say your avatar looks a lot like my Jake, he passed 2 years ago. Your doggie is beautiful.
If you don't return the money, get a nice steak dinner for the 2 of you. And some new toys and chew bones, maybe a new dog bed.
"Finder keepers losers weepers" happens often in life. You will lose money someday, I will, everyone does. Sometimes you are lucky enough to get it back sometimes not.
You will find money, sometimes that you can return and sometimes not.
It is only money, turn it into love.

theserialthrilla

stick an email or sign up at work...saying wallet found ..but dont say the amount in the wallet..just incase someone else is ripping you off...if the person that lost it can tell you the colour of wallet and amount in it ...then give it back.. if not spend it

DriftEd

Thanks for all the great advice.

jamburger

scb wrote:

Aside from the moral obligation to do the right thing, I'd keep in mind that you could get fired for keeping the money. I've seen it happen many times. And I'd bet your co-worker gave you your "cut" so that if he went down (or if you were thinking of telling on him) he could take you down with him. ID or not, keeping money you found at your job is considered stealing. I would imagine they have some kind of policy about turning in things you find, whatever they are or whatever lack of ID is attached to them.

Odd that you find a wallet with money and no ID (as it's more likely to find one with ID and no money ), but thinking about that and to piggy-back on SCB's comment, can you think of any reason your EMPLOYER may have set this up?

I once found a bag of weed in our elevator bank, but unfortunately, the head of HR was walking into the bank with me

polaris_x

sounds like the OP would like to return the wallet and cash ... not sure how your office is but we have a receptionist in our building that can send out a building wide email ... just say lost wallet - please contact receptionist ... he/she who lost the wallet will come see you and you can say you found the wallet with this amount of money in it ... don't say who has the rest ...

in most situations - i'm sure the person is happy to get at least half of it back ...

even flow - question mark

Finders keepers, losers weepers. Just a little something that I've heard before.

elvistheking44

When I was a kid, about 11 years old I found a wallet and it was full of cash. Counted it out to about $1800 bucks, I showed the wallet to my mom and she looks at the drivers license and says, " I know that guy, it is so and so's father down the street. Turns out he was getting ready to go on vacation with his family, had all the cash in his wallet and dropped it getting in his car. He shows up after my mom calls and he is so thankful and wants to give me a reward for finding it. So this guy with $1800 dollars cash in his wallet, pulls out a fuckin $5 bill, and says thank you so much. If I ever find a wallet again with cash in it, its as good as mine!!!!

polaris_x

interesting ...

i guess some here feel that if they lose their wallets - they are ok with not getting it back ...

Lizard

It could be a set-up to see if you are honest---a la..candid camera!

Jason P

Take that money down to the track and bet it on the horses! :twisted:

A good tip for everyone is to put your phone # somewhere on your phone / wallet / anything you could accidental lose in public. A radio station I listen to put a $20 in a wallet with only a phone # inside and left it on the street in downtown L.A. Amazingly enough, nine out of ten passer-byes immediately called the number and the tenth person turned it in two her supervisor at a restaurant (the supervisor ended up keeping it!).

Cosmo

DriftEd wrote:

I found a wallet at work. No ID just cash. Co worker said he would take care of it. Later in the day gives me half the cash. I still have it but dont know if I should keep it or how to handle the situation in general. I cant give it back. I dont want to get him in trouble. I dont want to get in trouble and worst of all I feel bad for whoever lost the money. I kind of had a felling that this person was going to keep the cash but I didnt want to deal with it...I guess I learned my lesson. Question is, what to do?

...
Here's my take...
The wallet belongs to someone you work with... it may be that nice guy... or it may be that asshole... that's beside the point. It, and its contents, still belongs to someone else.
You may want to talk to your co-worker and let him know that it just ain't right. Gather back all of the cash and take it up with a third party, like your boss.
Post dated messages with your manager's contact phone number on the bulletin board, near the restrooms or the entrances... places that are heavily traveled. Do not describe the wallet and make the rightful owner describe it.
If two weeks pass and no rightful owner comes forward, the contents of the wallet is yours.
...
P.S. What's the deal with your co-worker? He didn't find it, yet, wants half of the money.

_

My 17-year-old cousin found a cell phone at his high school recently. He didn't know who it belonged to and so he gave it to a friend. When someone asked if he had seen it, he didn't want to get in trouble for giving it away, so he said he hadn't. But it turns out that a security camera showed him picking it up. He was nearly expelled from school.

I guess my point is that there can be serious consequences for doing things that one might not think are a big deal - especially when you are subject to organizational rules and not just in your private life.

Electric_Delta

Turn it in, dude. Turn it in.

Jason P

I have had several instances where I have found very nice cameras that I could have easily kept . . . but I'm kind of superstitious about karma. In one instance, I was backpacking in Wyoming and found a nice Nikon SLR as I was exiting a trailhead. In that case, I left it in an area by the trail that would easily be noticeable to the owner on the way out. I was in a very remote area at the time and that was my only option so I hope they found it.

In another case, I was at a state park and found a camera that had wedding AND newborn baby pictures on it. I just went walking until I found someone I recognized from the photos . . . and the guy replied nonchalantly "yup, this is mine" and walked away without even a thank-you. I saw him with his wife a few hours later and thought I would get a "hey, here is the guy that saved our wedding and baby photos" but he didn't even acknowledge me. Still, it's nice to have a clear mind.

In this case, I agree with Cosmo. Put out the fliers and if no one can correctly identify and claim it in several weeks, then keep the money or donate it.

Cosmo

Jason P wrote:

I have had several instances where I have found very nice cameras that I could have easily kept . . . but I'm kind of superstitious about karma. In one instance, I was backpacking in Wyoming and found a nice Nikon SLR as I was exiting a trailhead. In that case, I left it in an area by the trail that would easily be noticeable to the owner on the way out. I was in a very remote area at the time and that was my only option so I hope they found it.

In another case, I was at a state park and found a camera that had wedding AND newborn baby pictures on it. I just went walking until I found someone I recognized from the photos . . . and the guy replied nonchalantly "yup, this is mine" and walked away without even a thank-you. I saw him with his wife a few hours later and thought I would get a "hey, here is the guy that saved our wedding and baby photos" but he didn't even acknowledge me. Still, it's nice to have a clear mind.

In this case, I agree with Cosmo. Put out the fliers and if no one can correctly identify and claim it in several weeks, then keep the money or donate it.

...
I was walking across the parking lot of the Costco on a rainy day and this pickup truck came racing by... there was snowboard stuff in the truck's bed and the 2 young gals looked like they were in snowboarding gear. Anyway, they hit the speed bump and something popped out of the back of the truck... it was a hairclip holding $87.00 in cash. I picked it up and called out to them holding the clip with the cash while jogging towards their truck. The girl in the passenger seat flipped me off and said, "In your dreams, asshole!!!" and they took off.
Well, she solved my dilemma for me.
And as it turned out... a few days later, the drains at my house backed up and it cost me 90 bucks for the plumber to roto-rooter the pipes.

Jason P

Cosmo wrote:

...
I was walking across the parking lot of the Costco on a rainy day and this pickup truck came racing by... there was snowboard stuff in the truck's bed and the 2 young gals looked like they were in snowboarding gear. Anyway, they hit the speed bump and something popped out of the back of the truck... it was a hairclip holding $87.00 in cash. I picked it up and called out to them holding the clip with the cash while jogging towards their truck. The girl in the passenger seat flipped me off and said, "In your dreams, asshole!!!" and they took off.
Well, she solved my dilemma for me.
And as it turned out... a few days later, the drains at my house backed up and it cost me 90 bucks for the plumber to roto-rooter the pipes.

Ye gods of karma hath smiled upon thou