A mother of six children (on social assistance) found a plastic bag full of cash in the middle of a busy street in Toronto on Monday (Dec 6./04). She promptly walked into the brach of the TD Bank, just accross the street and offered them the found money. The bank (wouldn't you know it) accepted the cash and rewarded her with $2000 for her honesty. Unfortunately for her the bank did not miss any of the funds, moreover had she turned the money over to the police she could have been $40,000 richer in 90 days provided that nobody claims it.
Now the question is "what would Jesus do?"
How about you? What would you have done?
How important is morality when you have six hungry mouths to feed? Should you keep whatever you find or do you have a moral obligation to seek out the unfortunate looser whose vallet is now 40 grand lighter? Does the bank have any right to keep the money since there were no records of any missing?
Whose money is it anyway?

Alex

In her shoes: turn it in to the police and hope like hell nobody reported it.

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1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

What an amazing coincidence.

Just today I LOST $40,000. Have her call me at BR-549.

Intertesting question. There's an interesting paradoxical effect to found money, at least in my mind. The more you find, the more likely you are to turn it in somewhere. 40K would be enough for me to turn it in, although I might turn in less and keep more, who knows. Its really hard to say.

I would probably turn it in.

But... Keeping it would be mighty tempting....

Look at it this way. if you find a penny on the street you keep it....

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

I dont know, if someone's careless enough to leave $40K on the street then they obviously don't need it that much

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

She was meant to find that money, I think she should have kept it. Ever notice you never hear of millionaires finding money like that, it's usually someone that really could use it. That's the way it's meant to be. If I found money like that, yes, I would keep it. There are too few nice surprises in this world not to take advantage of them.

I found $500 once, and $200 once, both times it was loose money in a parking lot. I also once was following behind a guy on a motorcycle when I saw some bills fly by, and I turned around and collected them, $35. I found a $20 bill on a sidewalk, and a $50 bill on a train. NONE of that money was "turned in", it all went back into the economy.

Lesson to all you millionaires reading this, keep your $$$$ close to you, don't drop any of it if I'm around.

I think the stories a little fishy.

I would have turned it it. That missing money was probably very important to somebody and would turn it in on the chnace that it may be returned to the proper owner. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to have it and could use the money.

I'd turn it in. You're accountable for your actions, regardless of the circumstances. You also never know who dropped the money-- maybe they actually needed it more than you. It could have been their life's savings for their own starving kids for all you know. In the absense of knowing, you can't assume that you are in greater need than they.

I found a wallet in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts once. It was already empty.

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Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

On fieldwork this summer in the Outer Hebrides, I took my wallet out of my trouser pocket and put it on the car roof while I put on my overtrousers. Spent all day in the field, then drove back to our accomdation. You guessed it, missing wallet. It had the equivalent of $400 cash, credit cards and my ferry ticket. I drove back to the field site (actually it was one of two that day, so I drove frantically around - no luck.

A guy had reported to the local police that he had found a wallet. I had drove off with it on the car roof & it fell off. I traced him - he was on holiday farther north on the chain of islands. He refused to take a penny reward.

So, yes, I'd like to think I would hand in the cash. But what if it was 10 million and obviously the proceeds of organised crime? More tempting.

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'79 280SE
'87 560SEL
'83 280CE
'01 Nissan Micra
'98 VW Passat
'83 911 turbo

Heck I would slowly funnel it into a Retirement account......I lost more than that 2 years back..................corporate fraud. And retirement age is always getting closer........thanks to entitlements given to non-workers I may not even be able to count on Social security being there, and the 14% I pay into that black hole I can't even invest towards my retirement.......

But if that story is true, that woman is full of integrety.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Proceeds of organized crime? Turn it in?

Fugetaboutit!

An armored car full of cash crashed in Watts and not a penny was turned in, it was clean as a whistle when the police got there.

hahahaha i laughed like hell when i read this

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1982 300D turbodiesel (W123.133) Creme / Tan, Bosch H4