Ethics Question: Found Money

Terminology wrote:

Found Money - Not Too Much wrote:

Happy to be ejumucated (I think - although I don't know what that means, so perhaps I should hedge on that one).

Ethics: moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.

Perhaps my ethics forbid me to keep money found on the street if it is above $).

Don't know where you got the definition from, because it's just wrong,

Ethics and morals both relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. However, ethics refer to the series of rules provided to an individual by an external source, e.g. their profession or religion. Morals refer to an individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong.

This is just a question of individual right or wrong.

You're welcome.

Well, I honestly thank you for trying to ejumucate me. I have come to the conclusion, however, that you have somehow gotten it into your mind that the definition that you provided (ethics refer to the series of rules provided to an individual by an external source) is the RIGHT definition as opposed to one of many legitimate definitions (as is the case with so many words). I do not believe that your singular definition is in any sense THE RIGHT definition.

Ethics: moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence. (source:

)

Ethics: the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group (source:

)

Ethics: a set of beliefs about what is morally right and wrong (source:

)

Note: NO reference to the need for these principles or beliefs to be provided by an external source.

So, it would appear that you are the one who was in for an ejumucation (if you are not too arrogant to gain from this exchange).

LRC's - Your welcome

Found Money - Not Too Much wrote:

So, it would appear that you are the one who was in for an ejumucation (if you are not too arrogant to gain from this exchange).

LRC's - Your welcome

He will be.

The more it is, the less likely I would be to turn it in. Turn it in to whom? Every cop is a crook, so if you give it to the cops, you are GIVING it to the cops. If there is an ID with the money, then I would try to track down the owner and return it. Otherwise, it is found property and thus is mine to keep.

When I was in High School, I came out of a CVS and saw a purse on the ground near my car. I picked it up and looked for some ID. There was no license but it did have several credit cards. I took it home and called the lady using the phone book to get her number.

She asked about the contents and it was clear the someone had taken the cash - about $85 bucks - but left everything else in the purse. She came to my house to pick it up.

When she got to my house and saw that I was a teenage kid, she accused me of taking the money. She got very heated and started making all kinds of crazy accusations like seeing me walking behind her in the grocery store, etc. Luckily, my mother was there and we offered to call the police and let them handle it. She backed down, but it really bothered me for a long time after that. To this day, I'd probably still return a wallet or purse to a USPS box instead of contacting the person.

Man what a sour person--you were doing her a favor.

I once found $168 dollars (a 100, 50, 10, 5, and 3 singles) waiting on line for a roller coaster. My dad was with me and we turned it in to the park security. Another time I saw a kid in the high school hallway drop a 20 and he didn't notice it. I picked it up and returned it to the kid. He was really gracious. That's about it for me finding money. If I find singles or fives, which is rare, I just keep them. I don't know what I'd do if I found a really large amount.

Josh Hamilton's Addiction wrote:

I once found $168 dollars (a 100, 50, 10, 5, and 3 singles) waiting on line for a roller coaster. My dad was with me and we turned it in to the park security.

Good teaching moment for your dad, although I am sure he hated giving the $168 to some park security guy knowing full well that he was going to keep it.

I saw this happen last weekend when I took my kids to a local amusement park. When exiting a ride, a little girl saw a wad of bills on the ground and picked it up. Her parents told her to give it to the ride's worker and he would find the person who lost it. The ride worker gladly took it. I knew it was a good teaching moment, but everyone but the little girl knew the ride worker was pocketing that wad of cash.

Found money is earned money. Ethically, you're in the clear.

Of course, it might be a test from a higher being. In which case it's bad.

Found 2 wallets and 1 purse during my life and returned them all to the rightful owner.

The first was a wallet at the park I run at. A girl who I called on the phone, got the number from the wallet. Said she left it on the roof of her car. No money, a few cards and pictures. Didn't offer me anything, said thank you and drove off quickly when I gave it to her.

The second was another wallet I found in the middle of a street. Called him and went out of my way to meet him. No money but tons of credit cards, etc. He offered me 50 bucks but I didn't accept. Told him to do a good deed for someone else.

The third was a purse left in a carraige at the parking lot of Walmart. This one was a little tricky. She lived in a very dangerous part of town and there was an address but no phone number. So I had to go into these projects where crime happens regularly and bang on her door. There was about $40.00 in this one. She answered the door and was very grateful. Didn't offer any money but seemed very happy to get her stuff back.

When I was 17, a friend and I found an envelope of $660 tucked away in a tree in the woods. Almost certain it was drug money. Split the money with the friend. There was no chance we turn it over to the cops. Little to confirm or deny who it would belong to and the cops in my town were very corrupt($80 bucks in cash would get you out of tickets for the majority of officers). They would have pocketed it. Also to be fair, this set of woods was fairly close to my parents house, so by taking the money maybe the drug/money transfers would go elsewhere.

ATM receipt or some form of ID with lost cash, return it to the owner or bank. I don't trust cops, security, or cashiers with holding the money.

No regrets at all wrote:

When I was 17, a friend and I found an envelope of $660 tucked away in a tree in the woods. Almost certain it was drug money. Split the money with the friend. There was no chance we turn it over to the cops. Little to confirm or deny who it would belong to and the cops in my town were very corrupt($80 bucks in cash would get you out of tickets for the majority of officers). They would have pocketed it. Also to be fair, this set of woods was fairly close to my parents house, so by taking the money maybe the drug/money transfers would go elsewhere.

ATM receipt or some form of ID with lost cash, return it to the owner or bank. I don't trust cops, security, or cashiers with holding the money.

Seems like kind of a dangerous choice to take that money. Glad it worked out for you.