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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I found some money...

205 replies

cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 07:32

We are currently on holiday, arrived yesterday. Had to make up the beds and when I pulled the mattress up, I found an envelope with £175 in it. On the front of the envelope it had a woman's name on it.
Obviously someone has left this behind and I would have been devastated if I had lost that amount of money. My husband and I agree that if we handed it in (to the complex/police), it probably wouldn't reach the owner. Would I be unreasonable to give the money to my friend who is raising money to support a charity?

OP posts:
Al2O3 · 09/04/2019 08:03

YABU for believing that if you handed it to the police it would not find its original owner. They will take details, hold it and if it is claimed with a reasonable degree of evidence they will unite it with the owner. Take it to the police station local to the holiday accommodation, not your own.

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 08:03

@bebeboeuf really?

They put it under the mattress so it wasn't in full view for opportunistic thieves. Why on earth wouldn't the name on the envelope tally with the owner? And why wouldn't they have booked their own room? Confused

LaurieFairyCake · 09/04/2019 08:05

Check the guest book in case they've signed it

Shimy · 09/04/2019 08:05

But there’s a lot of assumption that the name on the envelope is the name of the previous occupant. What if the previous occupant intended to give that money to the person named on it?

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 09/04/2019 08:06

Yes, YABVU. You only “agree” it won’t get back to the owner if you hand it into the police/complex so you can give a large amount to your friends charity, pretend it’s from you and look good.

FloraPostIt · 09/04/2019 08:06

Hand it in and leave a Trip Advisor review mentioning it. The woman might see it and can then take it up herself.

Drogosnextwife · 09/04/2019 08:06

I'm guessing you are abroad OP?
Does everyone actually think the police will waste resources on tracking down someone who is probably in a different country by now to give them £170? No, they will keep it there until someone claims it (which won't happen).
The hotel won't send it to the person either, it is highly unlikely they will mail money overseas. Infact it's unlikely they will mail anything.

bebeboeuf · 09/04/2019 08:06

I’m pretty sure that if I had an envelope of money belonging to me the first thing in mind to write on said envelope wouldn’t be my name

The money was payment to said name.

bebeboeuf · 09/04/2019 08:08

Very naive to think hotel staff or police would waste any time over something akin to finding a needle in haystack

Shimy · 09/04/2019 08:10

I’d just hand in the envelope and ask whoever claims it’s theirs to be able to know what name is written on the envelope, but not that their names should match.

bebeboeuf · 09/04/2019 08:10

If the original owner of the money knew they had forgotten about it and all was above board they would have called hotel to check under the mattress for it.

That’s obviously not been the case here

stucknoue · 09/04/2019 08:12

Speak directly to the manager not reception, or better still if a hotel with a brutish your rep them - cash is likely to go into someone's pocket

Avallamp · 09/04/2019 08:13

bebebeouf isn't it more likely the person who put the money under the mattress received the money with their name already on the envelope? Then hid it under the mattress when they went out on day trips so as not to carry it all with them? That seems like a simpler explanation.

onefootinthegrave · 09/04/2019 08:15

There is a good chance the money would get back to the rightful owner - all the hotel have to do is see who last stayed there with that name. They'll have their details, they can contact them and ask them if they left something behind when they stayed. If they say yes, £175, the hotel will know they've got the right person and can arrange to get it back to them.

Ok so there might be someone dodgy in the hotel that just pockets it, but really that shouldn't stop you doing the right thing in handing it in in the first place.

I remember in the 80's my sister and her friends were in a pub when they found a wallet with about £500 in. One of her friends was furious with my sister for not handing it into the bar, and they were never really friends again. We were by no means living on poverty but didn't have spare cash either. But unless I had no money to eat/pay rent/feed kids I couldn't keep something that wasn't mine. It's just not right!

Newmumma83 · 09/04/2019 08:15

Hand it to the police not complex and let the police deal with complex ... police will have to log it and will deal with resort ...

onefootinthegrave · 09/04/2019 08:16

**oops that was meant to read that my sister handed it into the bar and her friend was furious with her for doing so.

notapizzaeater · 09/04/2019 08:16

I'd hand it in to the police but tell the resort that's what you've done in case the lady gets in touch with them

Eateneasterchocsalready · 09/04/2019 08:18

Does the place your in have Twitter or Facebook?

Take photo of envelope , prefer where it was found and amount

Tell the complex you found it and do they have details.... of person with that name in the room.. and that Just in case you will post on Facebook s do TripAdvisor.

Maybe hide name on envelop get person to tell you name and room number

InACheeseAndPickle · 09/04/2019 08:20

Just to add my friend once lost hundreds of pounds on a bus. It was in an envelope but no name on it. The money was handed in and returned to her. (She was able to identify the bus it was left on and the exact amount of money inside the envelope).

labazsisgoingmad · 09/04/2019 08:23

usually when you book you give name and address so they should be able to contact previous occupant

HoraceCope · 09/04/2019 08:25

hand it to the complex

HoraceCope · 09/04/2019 08:26

or to the police but tell the complex
but no, do not give to someone's random charity

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 08:27

The owner didn't write their own name on it!!

Someone else did and gave it to them

Trip advisor review is a good idea, tell the hotel you have written it in the review that you are handing them the envelope.

Kungfupanda67 · 09/04/2019 08:27

I wouldn’t hand it in - the chances of it being reunited with its owner are slim to none

breadzeb · 09/04/2019 08:31

Don't give it to the complex. Give it to the police, that way the money is safe. Then tell the complex you have done so. If anyone contacts either the police or the complex re the money; they both know where it is. Safe.