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"What Would You have Done?"

Today my dad found a wallet today containing £400 + a few hundred Euros + Credit Cards and usual wallet stuff. He found it outside a shop so he walked in and with the details in the wallet discovered that it belonged to a regular customer of this shop. So my dad left his details incase the man wanted to thank him or whatever. And about 10 minutes ago, this man calls and thanks him etc.

I started thinking about what I would have done in the same situation as my dad. Would I have gone in the shop and given the wallet in? Would you?

Unjust Hero wrote:
> yes, well not all of us are dishoenst spoilt rich boys with no morals
> and idiotic principles.

I am more concerned with being called a "spoilt rich boy" it may be a little true but would a "spoilt rich boy" really need to pick money up off the floor?

The definition of theft is:
A person commits theft if they dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.

You saw him drop the cash. You waited for him to leave, which makes me think you knew it was wrong.

You picked it up, claiming ownership and you were going to keep it.

Does that fit the definition?

couldnt you take it to the police?

just because something is left in a public place, doesn't mean that it is 'unowned'. so if someone leaves the keys in their car, and the door open, am I allowed to just drive off in it?

English_Bloke wrote:
> So with the old guy. Did you know who the money belonged to?

*nods

> Could you have returned it to the owner?

*nods*

> Did you intentionally wait until he was gone so you could take the > money you knew belonged to him?

*nods*

> Sounds like stealing to me.

Pfft pety thievery if that. It's not as if I mugged him or anything just got some cash of the floor.

Cub!st wrote:
> I'd keep the cash, stick it in my bank and burn the wallet so there's
> no chance it ever gets linked with me.

yes, well not all of us are dishoenst spoilt rich boys with no morals and idiotic principles.

I doubt E_B would believe that although that's because it's obvious you are going out of your way to relieve people from their stuff. If you found a fully working DVD player still in the box lying on the street and took it then you can't see who's it is, it's not labelled as anyones so you're just taking what is currently unowned:D

So with the old guy. Did you know who the money belonged to? Could you have returned it to the owner? Did you intentionally wait until he was gone so you could take the money you knew belonged to him?

Sounds like stealing to me.

Oh yeah - I 'found' the TV and Video player in his house, officer.

I hope not Borat but it's the way of the world. The difference is though that if you find money and take it you're just taking advantage of the situation for self profit. If you go out of your way to TAKE money from people then that's actually stealing. This is just finding money. Totally different.