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Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

re fiver found in street.

28 replies

hope004 · 04/07/2012 17:29

DD found a 5 pound note in the street. I told her we should hand it in to the Police Station in case someone claims it. Now I am starting to wonder if this is the right thing to do.
WWYD

OP posts:
SixtyFootDoll · 04/07/2012 17:32

I doubt if anyone will go to the police station to claim it.
If you have taken all ( if there are any) steps to find the owner, you could keep it. If you hand it into police and no one claims it you can keep it after 28 days

DontSweatTheSmallStuff · 04/07/2012 17:38

I would hand it in if you have a police station quite close. (within walking distance?). If it's not claimed in a certain amount of time you get to keep it. I doubt anyone would claim it though, then you get to teach dd about doing the right thing and she'll probably still get the £5 as well.

hope004 · 04/07/2012 17:44

Thats what I was thinking dontsweatit Than I read somewhere that sometimes the Police can be a little corrupt and keep it but I sure no one would bother for a fiver.

OP posts:
Secret7 · 04/07/2012 17:47

I wouldn't have even mentioned handing it in to a Police Station.

If it was a purse or something similar then I would.

I would let DD treat herself.

zandy · 04/07/2012 17:48

We had two bikes dumped at the end of our street. Police were not interested in collecting them, asked us to keep them and if anyone enquired about them they would send them our way, if not we could keep them! Later that day someone reported the theft of two bikes, and the police sent them round to us to collect.

Sooo, maybe pocket it and just give the local bobbies a ring rather than making a special trip to a station.

ICutMyFootOnOccamsRazor · 04/07/2012 17:49

I'd charity box it. Let DD chose which.

Kaloobear · 04/07/2012 17:50

I'd give it to a charity of DD's choice if you've reasonably done all you can do to find the owner (not much if it's in the street!). I wouldn't give it to the police-noone's going to go to the station to ask if someone's handed in a fiver.

happyinherts · 04/07/2012 17:52

I think I would be spending more than that in petrol or fares to find a police station.

I don't suppose whoever lost the fiver knows exactly where he lost it and with all the hassle of him going to report it, is it likely that's going to happen?

Keep it - but impress on your daughter that anything with a name or address found in the street, wallet, purse, etc must be handed in

ExitPursuedByABear · 04/07/2012 17:52

If you ca find a police station that is open! DD found a phone and we took it to the police station but it is never open.

maresedotes · 04/07/2012 17:56

This happened to my dd last year and I asked mumsnetters what she should do. I was told to hand it in by the majority which I did. Dd claimed it 28 days later. Of course no-one reported it missing but dd loved the experience of going to the police station and was also shown round a van as a treat.

imnotmymum · 04/07/2012 17:58

Keep it Finders keepers!!

usualsuspect · 04/07/2012 17:59

I would let her keep it.

AWomanCalledHorse · 04/07/2012 18:00

Keep it.
It is extra shite on the poor soul stuck in the front office of the police station to have to deal with, it will never get claimed (aside from by you) so it's just a waste of everyone's time.

MadameOvary · 04/07/2012 18:05

When I was at Uni I found a fiver in the Mature Students House. I handed it in to the office.
The next day I was in Miss Selfridge and found a fiver in the changing rooms. I didn't like the look of the sales assistants at the till (I know, I know) so I ended up giving it to a girl who was trying to choose between two pairs of trousers so she could buy the more expensive ones.
No doubt she thought I was a bit of a loon but as I explained "It wasn't mine" At the time I quite enjoyed propagating the idea that you could get something for nothing but now I really hope that person didnt come back to claim it.

I would probably hand it in to the manager now as I'm not quite so much of a flower child.

hollie25 · 05/07/2012 13:18

I would hand it in to the police station.

It is an important lesson on right and wrong for your daughter and she will probably get it back in 28 days.

As the law stands, you must either hand it in or report your find on the condition you hand over the money if the owner reports the loss. Either way, the money is yours if it isn't claimed within 28 days. If you don't report it to the Police, you are guilty of "theft by finding" and can be charged. (Not that I think this would happen or the police would care for such a small amount.)

CointreauVersial · 05/07/2012 13:26

I would hand it in if I found it somewhere specific - for example I found £30 in the Asda self-service till - someone had obviously ordered cash-back and then not taken it. I figured there was a sporting chance the owner would claim it. Likewise a full wallet (un-named) DS found recently in the pub toilet, a mobile phone in a carpark (handed into police station; I later received a letter and a gift voucher from very grateful owner).

But a fiver in the street I would keep, as it is a pretty small amount of money and it is a public place (unless I spotted someone nearby looking worriedly through their pockets...).

Tortington · 05/07/2012 13:30

if i had found it - i'd spend it or charity box it.

if a small child that i had responsability found it - i would make them hand it in at the police station as it's the right thing to teach a child

EdithWeston · 05/07/2012 13:32

I'd like to think I'd hand it in. But if in RL that didn't happen for whatever reason, then I'd definitely put it in a charity box (which is what I do for coins, and insist DCs do for anything bigger than a copper).

anklebitersmum · 05/07/2012 13:37

Police station. Not least because DD found it and when you get the chance to show one or more child to 'do the right thing' you should take it-even if it bites you on the bum later (ie there's a queue of Mumnetters at your police station by this evening Wink)
I think the police would be pleased that she handed it in and not even a little bit cross or hassled about having to do the paperwork.

So, to sum up, hand it in and if you wouldn't mind pm-ing me with your local station's address.. :o

MothershipG · 05/07/2012 13:39

When my DS was about 6 he found £10, realistically no one is going to go to the police station for a lost tenner, so I explained to him that he couldn't keep it because it wasn't his but as we had no way of finding the owner we should give it to charity.

We went to the Oxfam web site and he chose to get school meals for children so he was sent a fridge magnet and kids got fed, win, win. Smile When my Dad saw the magnet and my DS explained about it my Dad had a little blub of pride in his Grandson (yes, my dad is a bit wet!)

Conflugenglugen · 05/07/2012 13:46

I'd give it to charity.

Fillybuster · 05/07/2012 13:50

These days no-one is going to claim a fiver....I'd set your dd a good example by choosing a charity with her and donating it :)

GnocchiNineDoors · 05/07/2012 13:53

If it were me that found it, id pocket it. However, I know the value of a fiver.

A five year old doesnt and id want her to realise that notes found on the street arent hers and someone could be seriously out of pocket. Therefore wed hand it in and like pps say, itll be hers in a month anyways.

Where do you draw the line when teaching kids about money and lost property? 5, 10, 50, 100 pounds?

PuffPants · 05/07/2012 13:55

Honestly? For a fiver? I'm not sure how many posters I believe here.

I would, without doubt, stick it in the next charity box I saw. I would not in a million years put it in my pocket and I certainly wouldn't allow my child to "treat themselves" at the cost of somebody else's misfortune. However, giving it to charity is a good compromise.

I don't imagine the police would thank you and would probably think you were a bit bonkers. Or bored...

Equally can't imagine anyone losing a fiver and going to the police station to see if it had been handed in. Unless they were bonkers and bored too Wink

GnocchiNineDoors · 05/07/2012 14:09

Tbh I think the police would know yiu were only doing it for your childs benefit and would play along.