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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:
whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 08:32

The chances of it being handed to its owner are not even slim if you keep hold of it panda.

Where are all the honest people??

I lost money to a greater value in Cape Verde. A very poor country. Guess what, it passed through the hands of honest people and I got it back!

Shimy · 09/04/2019 08:36

It also depends on how long since the last occupant checked out, also how do we even know it was the last occupant and not the one before or the one before that?

Movinghouseatlast · 09/04/2019 08:37

Obviously they just email everyone who has stayed in that room for the last few weeks in order to find the owner! Whether they do or not is a different matter.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 08:38

We are going to hand it in. Certainly wouldn't have given it to charity to make myself look good. My friend knows we aren't able to spare a big sum like that and I'd already told her I'd found it.
I thought giving it to a charity might have been a good thing to do. No ulterior motive.
The complex doesn't ask for individual names, just one booking name.
There was only a single first name on the envelope. The envelope was already open when I found it.

OP posts:
user1480880826 · 09/04/2019 08:40

Weird to leave £175 and not go back for it.

thecatsthecats · 09/04/2019 08:41

1- why would someon staying in a room leave an envelope of money under the mattress

No safe in the room?

2 - I would then be pretty sure that the name on the envelope wouldn’t be the name of the person staying in the room

What a highly odd presumption. I probably half a half dozen envelopes at home containing cards with cash or vouchers in them - gifts awaiting my use of them. I will take them with me when I need them. I suppose the reason the name might not match the resident would be that they were taking it as a gift (say,, to a wedding) and forgot it. But the hotel could still call former residents of the room, and ask them to name the person on the envelope and the amount.

3 - I would be quite sure that unless this is some super luxury hotel where they go or of their way to reunite lost goods with owners that the money would be handed in and forgotten about immediately

I have stayed in a £40 shitty motorway travelodge who called me to say there was a silver earring in the room we'd stayed in five nights previously. They were clearly working their way down the list of former occupants. Also someone handed in our dropped bank card to reception of another hotel. They called us in our room because my husband's name matched the card.

In fact my mum loses her wallet with alarming frequency, and has almost always been reunited with it in full - even by non 'super luxury' businesses.

4- how does anyone think that police or a hotel can trace an owner of an envelope of cash with just a first name? A name most likely not on their booking?

Initial on their booking? By calling the previous inhabitants of the room?

I hope you don't go finding anything lost of mine since you seem so inclined to look for excuses not to do the right thing...

donajimena · 09/04/2019 08:42

Don't hand it in to the complex. Either the police or keep it, tell the complex and leave your details. I believe you don't actually have to hand it over law class donkeys years ago but perhaps someone wiser could clarify

cantfindname · 09/04/2019 08:44

It may have been payment for 'services rendered' GrinGrin

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 09/04/2019 08:44

If you had to make the beds, presumably it's a holiday let.

I'd def. give it to the police, with a note of where it was found, and your own details. I don't think I'd give it to anyone else. Most people are honest but there are always one or two.

winbinin · 09/04/2019 08:44

I used to work in the customer service desk of a big store. There was a set procedure for found money whereby the details of when/where found etc were recorded, the money was sealed in a referenced envelope countersigned by two staff members and stored in a safe separate from stores takings along with anything else of value found in the store. The police were given details of any found valuables on a weekly basis. It was a very effective system and and we were often able to reunite owners with possessions they thought had been lost for good. It was a happy part of an often thankless job.

On more than one occasion people came to us to report having found something of value but refused to hand it in because they thought we would steal it. It was so insulting - why would working in a shop (or hotel in the OPs example) make me less honest than them? I used to comfort myself by thinking that they were judging me by their own, obviously low, standards.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 08:45

To say again. We are going to hand it in. There were slats under the mattress. I don't think it was money hidden for safe keeping. I think it had fallen through.

OP posts:
Tinyteatime · 09/04/2019 08:46

I’d give it to charity. It won’t get back to its owner. The staff at the complex will most likely keep it.

Flaverings · 09/04/2019 08:46

The name on the envelope is unusual.

Is it a family room? Could a child have stashed away their spending money? It's an awful lot for even a teen, but I know my nephews get a fair bit because they're the only grandchildren and have multiple step-grandparent-pairings.

PaintingOwls · 09/04/2019 08:52

Err is no one else thinking prostitution?

WitsEnding · 09/04/2019 08:54

I must be the odd one out, when I take money abroad I write my name on the envelope that the bureau de change give you. This is so that when it is in the safe I can distinguish it from the money belonging to DSis or whoever I'm sharing a room with.

I can quite understand that if no safe was available (perhaps early departure and key handed back) it might end up under the mattress that night.

thecatsthecats · 09/04/2019 08:55

The name on the envelope is unusual.

Again, I don't think it is. I often receive gifts in envelopes with my name on, and maybe collate cash from a few gifts into one envelope.

It was so insulting - why would working in a shop (or hotel in the OPs example) make me less honest than them? I used to comfort myself by thinking that they were judging me by their own, obviously low, standards.

Well, there's quite a few people with low standards on this thread, evidently!

ginghamtablecloths · 09/04/2019 08:55

This was obviously hidden for safekeeping. Your friend may well be in need of it but it would be dishonest to pass it on to her. In this day and age with the internet etc it should be possible to locate the owner. Surely the police would be your best bet.

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 08:57

Why bypass the hotel staff and go to the police? What tells you that they aren't trustworthy?

The hotel staff have an email address for previous occupants. Give it to them to deal with. It's most likely the last occupant due to bed sheet changes.

Why is it strange to write a name on an envelope? Wtf do you lot do when you send a birthday card?

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 09/04/2019 08:59

Are you in the UK or are you abroad? I would hand it in to the police. I wouldn't assume that it would be returned if you left it with staff or the owners of the accommodation you have no proof that you handed it to them and there is nothing to stop them pocketing it.

Twisique · 09/04/2019 09:02

If you hand it in to the police and it's not claimed then you keep it.

breadzeb · 09/04/2019 09:02

Why bypass the hotel staff and go to the police? What tells you that they aren't trustworthy?

It removes the element of doubt, doesn't it?

Twisique · 09/04/2019 09:02

If in the UK...

ClingFilmApplications · 09/04/2019 09:03

Why would someone staying in a room leave an envelope of money under the mattress?

That's exactly the kind of thing I do with my holiday cash if there's no safe (but I choose a better location).

How does anyone think that police or a hotel can trace an owner of an envelope of cash with just a first name?

It's not about tracing them - it's for when that person phones up and says "Can you help? My name's Xxx and I stupidly left my envelope of holiday cash under the bed"

When traveling with a group 4 passports were left in a hotel room. They disappeared mysteriously

Not "mysterious" at all, but exactly the kind of thing stolen by low-paid cleaning staff - or opportunists nipping into the room whilst the maid gets towels out of the laundry cupboard whilst leaving your door wide open unattended for five minutes (which happens regularly in hotels)

bebeboeuf · 09/04/2019 09:06

Painting owls - exactly my thoughts and can’t understand why no one else would see this.

For anyone who travels with envelopes of cash with your name on I think you need to reconsider your method of holiday finances

thecatsthecats · 09/04/2019 09:10

Painting owls - exactly my thoughts and can’t understand why no one else would see this.

Because of the perfectly normal reasons given up thread? And my methods are just fine thanks.

Besides, even if it is prostitution, well, they earned the money ffs!