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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:
breadzeb · 09/04/2019 09:13

If in the UK...

It's not any less of a valid suggestion just because we don't know the country.

bebeboeuf · 09/04/2019 09:14

It’s not that if it’s prostit money that it’s not well earned it’s that due to the illegal nature it won’t be claimed.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 09:14

In the UK.
We've just handed it in. Had to fill out a form.

OP posts:
Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 09:17

It just looked like lost holiday money. Fallen down the back of the bed. Loving all the theories though.

OP posts:
whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 09:17

Wtf? This thread gets stranger and stranger.

Do you know what the average sex worker actually would have to do to earn that kind of money? They absolutely wouldn't forget the cash and would have been back to claim it instantly if they did.

What is your method of carrying cash around @bebeboeuf? Or are you like the queen?

Longdistance · 09/04/2019 09:18

Go to reception and ask them do they know who stayed in the room previously, could they call them as you’ve found something of theirs (don’t mention it’s money).
I bet the previous people from the room have already rung and asked if the money was found, and the staff didn’t find anything or were too lazy to look.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 09/04/2019 09:19

In the UK. We've just handed it in. Had to fill out a form.

I would have handed it to the police. You would have been safe in the knowledge that the money would have been properly looked after. Then if the money was not claimed it would have been returned to you. I sincerely hope the hotel try to get it back to its rightful owner but the sceptic in me thinks its probably going to be pocketed.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 09:23

@headsdown, this is what I originally thought about handing it in and why I thought about giving it to charity.
I didn't want to keep the money for myself so didn't make the trip out the the police station in the hope that I might receive it eventually.
Anyway, I've handed it in so I don't need to worry about what happens next.

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 09/04/2019 09:24

Where did you hand the funds into?. If the money had been handed into the police and they could not locate the owner this would have been returned to you after a month.

HoraceCope · 09/04/2019 09:24

oh yep, holiday money, they will think they spent it Grin
hope it finds its way back to them

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 09:27

@attilla, into the complex we are staying in. I'm not worried about receiving the money if no one claimed it. I never saw it as mine.

OP posts:
bebeboeuf · 09/04/2019 09:28

Usually I carry holiday money in a purse or wallet. And if I wasn’t carrying it with me it would be in the safe.

It’s safer to actually keep just a small float for holidays and use your cards (have a card with decent foreign rates and it’s actually cheaper doing it that way too)

The only time I’ve had money in an envelope is when I’ve been on my way to bank to pay it in.

whitesoxx · 09/04/2019 09:30

Putting money in a purse is no different whatsoever to putting money in an envelope

breadzeb · 09/04/2019 09:31

It’s not that if it’s prostit money that it’s not well earned it’s that due to the illegal nature it won’t be claimed.

Well the owner could quite easily claim it. It was found in a holiday let, nobody is going to question the owner on where it came from if they do come forward. What a weird idea.

ClingFilmApplications · 09/04/2019 09:32

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

  • and very naive of you to assume that someone who had forgotten an envelope of cash wouldn't at the very least call reception to ask (even though they know it most likely is gone).
breadzeb · 09/04/2019 09:33

Usually I carry holiday money in a purse or wallet. And if I wasn’t carrying it with me it would be in the safe.

The only time I’ve had money in an envelope is when I’ve been on my way to bank to pay it in.

And you are one person.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 09/04/2019 09:33

I'm not worried about receiving the money if no one claimed it. I never saw it as mine.
See my thinking would be that if the police could not locate who the money belonged to and it was returned to me I could then give it to the charity.

If I lost the money, I would have already written it off. I would be much happier knowing that if it had not made its way back to me it had at least gone to a good cause rather than to someone at the complex.

FamilyOfAliens · 09/04/2019 09:40

Really can’t believe anyone would have to ask what they should do with money they’ve found that clearly belonged to someone else.

Original poster
cooksomeeggs · 09/04/2019 09:44

Relax @familyofaliens no harm has been done.

OP posts:
FoxSquadKitten · 09/04/2019 09:51

Because OP was unsure (quite rightly) whether the money would actually get to the original owner so thought it better for it to go to charity. Fair enough I think.

FamilyOfAliens · 09/04/2019 09:52

Relax familyofaliens no harm has been done.

I’m very relaxed. Still can’t believe you had to ask.

downcasteyes · 09/04/2019 09:52

I think the comments attacking the OP's honesty are really unfair.

She asked a simple question: if she hands in the money, will it get back to the actual owner? Will the hotel/resort make an effort to return it? It doesn't take much experience of travel and the wider world to know that there are some hotels/resorts where you could be really sure that strenuous efforts would be made - and others where you could be fairly certain that the money would be pocketed by the staff. There are some, shall we say, 'budget' hotels in some countries of the world where you can't leave anything valuable out without it being pilfered!! In other places, your stuff is as safe as houses.

If the money is likely to get back to the original guests, then there is a clear way forward. If, however, it is not, then there is a genuine dilemma about what to do. Attacking her for being dishonest for asking the question is hardly fair.

ClingFilmApplications · 09/04/2019 09:55

Usually I carry holiday money in a purse or wallet. And if I wasn’t carrying it with me it would be in the safe.

Great! - But I don't - and lots of other people won't either - I leave the wad in a secret place in the room and each day take only what I need, to protect against having no cash should I get pickpocketed or worse.

Oh - and that hotel safe?

  • I'm guessing you don't know they can be instantly opened by anyone. Just YouTube "hotel safe" and there's examples of how to do it for the various models of safe that are out there.
Cryalot2 · 09/04/2019 09:55

Mich as you think the person will not get it if you hand it in ( no idea why you think this) There is a fair chance she might. But if you don't she won't.
I once found a small some of money at a beach. No local police station, but I posted it with a note to the station in the next big town.
After a period I get it back in the post as it was unclaimed.
So if the money is not claimed after a period then you will get it back and legally be free to use it as you please

M4J4 · 09/04/2019 09:56

I would have handed it in.

I've lost money a few times, and it was always handed in. The last time was at an ASDA self-check out (£40). It had been handed in, and Asda had filed it in a bulging lever arch file full of handed in cash and cards, filed by date. I must take a box of chocs in for the staff.