Posted on 11/09/2008 6:40:13 AM PST by Devilinbaggypants
Link only to the article.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_re_us/house_hidden_money
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Am I the first one here to wonder aloud how much that stack would be worth today if that fool had invested it?
The money should have gone to whomever held title to the house and was responsible for all property taxes thereon. Period.
This was a big story here in the Cleveland area and I followed it all along.
The two were friends! He found the money and could have kept it silently (never uttering a word) and that greedy chick would never have known, but he was honest. Not a good example to show how honesty pays.
They originally agreed to basically split proceeds. Greed of the homeowner took over and now they both got squat - just lots of legal bills.
Good story to share regarding greed and stupidity.
I’ll tell you what. If I found money while working on a house, I’d be danged if I’d say a thing. Sorry to be honest but this is how you end up screwing yourself by being “good.” The money is NOT the homeowners either. I don’t care what legal crapola you come up with. There’s a reason for the old saying, “finders, keepers.” It wasn’t either of their money and had the contractor not found it, nobody ever would have found it. I don’t understand why you would think the homeowner “owns” it. You must be a lawyer.
So, why don’t you rip it apart to find what’s “in” it?
Nope, not a lawyer. So, you’re willing to steal what isn’t yours? You belong on D.U. When that house transfered ownership, everything in it transfered with it.
I agree with you
I am my own gardner... there are advantages to doing one’s own work (he he). I know where you are going with this.... not gonna bite.
So I "find" your car with the keys in parked in front of my house. I get to "keep" it?
Nope. Just an honest soul who doubts her self from time to time. I am actually quite sure that if I WAS doing work in someone’s house, I’d have to say something because I am a Christian, but after this whole episode (and there is way, way more to it than you think - hundreds of articles here about it), I seriously thought the guy was better off if he had kept his trap shut.
That’s what the rest of us call stealing. It’s not your house, whatever is is in that house, belongs to the homeowner. Regardless of who found it.
Now, had you found the money buried in a public place, then you may have a claim to the money since no one would know who it actually belongs to.
That is the most ignorant thing I have read in days (and that’s pretty significant since I’ve been reading a lot of what the Obama-ites have been saying).
For argument sake, pretend you have a gardener and answer the question.
so if i come over to your house and say, perhaps, you have misplaced jewelry and I find it, does that mean I can keep it?
Incidentally, if something is not lost, it cannot be found. Try a little logic sir.
You have made one of the best points I’ve read.
You said:
I don’t care what legal crapola you come up with.
So if the legal system doesn't apply to finding valuables in the property you own, why should the legal system apply to my "finding" your car and "keeping" it.
It's YOUR standard not mine
Who the ignorant one now ?
Instead, he thought he was owed more for knocking out a wall and getting lucky. He put up a fight and they both lost, with only the IRS being the winner.
If I had a gardener and he took the money and never told me, I would never know, so I’d still be happy. This is like the story of the Three Sillies. I don’t play “what if” games. Would I hope that a gardener tell me if he found money, yes, but this contractor was in the bowels of the home so-to-speak and digging up a little garden plot is not even remotely similar. I think the contractor did the right thing by telling the homeowner but she did the wrong thing by going back on a promise.
Instead of her being overjoyed that the guy found the money and rejoicing in her good fortune, her heart sunk to greedy levels.... she should have honored the original agreement.
Honestly... I am not very focused on money to tell you the truth. Never have been and never will. Now my brother-in-law, the evil lawyer, he would KILL, ROB or STEAL for money (and he does it regularly in his capacity as lawyer - of course the “killing” is figurative).
Well, there, I have to say I agree. The problem is that the lady originally promised him more than 10 percent - she went back on a promise. They were friends so it makes the story more complex.
Bottom line is, I don’t know exactly what I would do. I always want to think I will take the high road, but I am an ordinary human. I will share a story with you though:
Two years ago I backed into a guy’s parked car; I only saw a small dent but I agonized for moments over this because nobody saw anything - not a soul around. I could have walked away without a trouble in the world. Of course, I knew that the Lord saw all and that I would be very hurt had the situation been reversed and someone had dented my car. So.... I put a paper under the windshield wiper with my cell number (and secretly prayed the paper would blow away even though it was a sunny and calm day). Honestly, I was terrified what would happen when I got that call. I later learned that the proper procedure is to call the police Okay, I get the call and the man is very nice to me because he says that he and his wife “CANNOT BELIEVE THAT [I] LEFT A NOTE.” While they were devastated because as it turned out, I had dented the hood (which I did not see) and the car was brand new (heartbreaking), they were so overwhelmed at my honesty knowing that I could’ve just walked away, that they were very pleasant.
We worked everything out ourselves so my insurance did not go up and later exchanged Christmas greetings. Turned out they were Christians too.
Life is funny. Like I said, I like to think I will always take the high road. Meanwhile, several people confessed to me that they would not have been as honest. For me, in spite of the financial blow of paying it all out-of-pocket, knowing I did the right thing was worth it.
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