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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Found money … what should I do !

502 replies

Brighton5555 · 24/02/2022 21:24

Hi so a couple weeks ago I visited my sister and we went around a good few charity shops like we always do when we see each other.

I noticed a lovely patchwork type of quilted blanket that looked like it was hand made ! I paid for it and it’s been still in the carrier bag till this morning as I wanted to wash it first before use

I was checking for any washing instructions on the labels and that’s when I noticed that in one quarter of the blanket it felt different … the more I pressed on that area the more I could almost feel something move so curiously I made a cut and I’ve found money inside

It’s not old notes , it’s uk money and quite a chunk. Most of it in £50 notes and we are talking over £1000, I don’t want to say how many thousands

I don’t know what to do. Go back to the shop? Or keep it

I’m due to go on holiday soon and it would really help with expenses

OP posts:
fghjk · 25/02/2022 06:53

I would keep it.

But then I would NEVER have given a blanket handmade by granny or whoever to a charity shop after she passed in the first place.

I don't get the logic of tracing it back to the owner - they didn't want the blanket but they'll gladly take the £1000 stuffed inside it?

I also wouldn't be giving it to the charity either for it to get spent on some marketing managers wages.

What I would do is spend some on somebody actually in need i.e do a massive foodbank shop or whatever. And keep as much as you need if you are in need yourself.

NobodysGonnaKnow · 25/02/2022 06:58

Just do whatever you need to do to find peace with it. That’s probably a donation to a charity you care about. I suspect even if you tried you will never get it back to its rightful owner.

Havehope21 · 25/02/2022 06:59

Keep it and buy a lottery ticket - it was your lucky day!

Remmy123 · 25/02/2022 07:00

Donate some and keep the rest.

PollyPage · 25/02/2022 07:04

Every single post assumes it's a little old lady. It could be drugs money or a myriad of other things. Use it to do good, spend it on whatever you want and share it with deserving people. Finders keepers losers weepers.

Move22 · 25/02/2022 07:04

My guess is that this will makes it’s way to the Daily mail 😱 then someone will see it and come forward ….

Chloesss · 25/02/2022 07:10

I would definitely call the charity shop to check if anyone had contacted about missing money, if they so no, I would give the charity shop a small cut as they don’t have to know how much was in there

edgeware · 25/02/2022 07:12

My toddler DS once put our set of spare keys in the charity shop bag, which I then donated. The charity shop obviously found them and kept them aside but couldn’t trace who they came from. When I called them up months later they still had them! I know it’s not not money, but someone might phone up…

Original poster
Brighton5555 · 25/02/2022 07:15

Thanks for all your responses I’ve read them all, the charity shop was in Chichester if that helps to those curious to know

The money isn’t all pristine £50 notes , the majority is £50 notes but there is a chunk that’s old / worn compared to the rest. I’m now paranoid maybe they are fake notes so I’m going to try to deposit all of this in my bank this morning

Wish me luck , I’m nervous

OP posts:
VelvetChairGirl · 25/02/2022 07:17

As you paid for the item from a shop, whom should have checked it, I am not sure if it counts as thieft by finding or not.

why dont you look into the law.

Original poster
Brighton5555 · 25/02/2022 07:18

No charity shop donation I ever did took any details from me I always just hand them bag over and I did see people doing just this the day I picked up the blanket so I have no doubt they don’t trace where donations come from

My aim is to make sure It’s not fake and keep it. Thanks for all the feedback

OP posts:
MrsDThomas · 25/02/2022 07:19

Good luck with the bank.

When I deposit a large amount of cash they ask where it came from (money laundering).

You gonna tell them the truth?

MrsGhastlyCrumb · 25/02/2022 07:21

@Persephoned

There’s no right or wrong answer. If it’s a large sum I couldn’t in all conscience just keep it and spend it. I would contact the charity shop and tell them you’d found some money in a quilt if they knew who donated it/someone contacted them about it and could give the details of the amount then you would give it to them. Otherwise would donate to the charity the shop is run by.
This. I would be uncomfortable keeping that much money personally- unless I was in a really desperate position myself.
Onelifeonly · 25/02/2022 07:21

@00xxxsuper

I once found a £50 note in the street and pocketed it with glee, since I had just paid a parking fine I was kicking myself about. Felt like the world was trying to pay me back,

Eh? The world hmm surely you know that the world does not spit £50s out of the earths core and they more reasonable explanation is that some poor person had dropped it!

and anyway, how could I ever find out who had dropped the note?

You could have handed it in to the police. There have been many points in my life where losing a £50 would have been the difference between eating or not.

Really, I had no idea? No £50s in the earth's core? People who drop money in the street always know WHERE they dropped it and go to police stations to ask about it? (Because of course they were in too much of a hurry to actually pick it up at the time.)

If only I had realised people in possession of £50 notes are often the poorest in society.....

Original poster
Brighton5555 · 25/02/2022 07:22

Well it’s over £1000 but I don’t wish to say on here how many thousands it is. Funny enough my bank only questions when I take large amounts out . If asked I will say gifted money as o feel maybe this was meant for me

OP posts:
Soddingcat · 25/02/2022 07:23

Easy ! Put it in the local Facebook group with a photo of quilt . We did this recently with a birthday card delivered to us with cash in . I tracked down owner on local page . Took a while, but when I handed this nice student £50 cash it made my day !! It’s wrong to keep it unless you’ve tried to find the owner . It will have been an old lady .

KylieCharlene · 25/02/2022 07:25

Happy spending OP, you lucky thing.

Newmumatlast · 25/02/2022 07:30

Normally if I found money someone had lost i would report it to the police. But this seems a bit different as it is in something you purchased which had been donated and therefore abandoned by the owner. The charity shop will not know who donated it and so would likely keep it. The police wouldn't have a clue and wouldn't investigate it because too many other things to do - may sit on it for a bit then give you it back if unclaimed. I imagine the person died and their family donated the item not realising as I doubt the person themselves would donate it forgetting they had that much money hidden away in it.

If you did have a guilt about it still you could bank it so safe and then tell charity shop you found something hidden inside the quilt so have they had the owner contact the shop at all and then say if they dont hear from them within x period of time you'll assume you can keep it as it was effectively donated with the quilt. But obviously if the family or person do then contact the shop you'll have to give it back- perhaps ask what the item was and if they guess money ask roughly how much so you know it is genuine and not just someone from the shop lol

Geranium1984 · 25/02/2022 07:32

The shop won't know who donated it and seems like it's probably a clear out after someone has died.
I would keep half and donate half.
Xx

Newmumatlast · 25/02/2022 07:34

@VelvetChairGirl

As you paid for the item from a shop, whom should have checked it, I am not sure if it counts as thieft by finding or not.

why dont you look into the law.

This is actually a good point. I think I'd look this up if I were you first given the amount. As I said you could report to the police but doubt they would do anything and usually after a period of time return to the finder so actually that may be best. If someone comes forward well its theirs not yours so you haven't lost anything but if they don't you get it back with a clear conscience
lolacherricoke · 25/02/2022 07:35

Give the shop a donation of £100 (online) and the. Spend it! Spend it! Spend it!

VelvetChairGirl · 25/02/2022 07:35

the thing about thieft by finding is you report it to the police and hand it in and if no one comes forward to claim it you get it after a few months.

but as I said I dont know exactly what the law is if you have actually bought something with money inside.

I dont know if its like if a shop accidentally sold you a diamond ring instead of a glass and paste one, that would be their mistake and not your problem.

xxxsuper · 25/02/2022 07:42

@Onelifeonly

Leave your sarcasm out. I have been given £50 notes for my birthday many times by my Nanna, and like I said, they were often the difference between eating or not eating. Assuming the loser of £50 can afford it because it was a 50 note is a
Tad short sighted.

xxxsuper · 25/02/2022 07:43

Wish me luck , I’m nervous

As you should be. What an awful thing to do Sad

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 25/02/2022 07:44

I’d guess that it’s come from a house clearance after someone has died, or moved to a care home.

I doubt the charity shop will have a clue who donated it. Instead of taking it to the shop, OP, I think I’d be inclined to make an online donation of some of it, at least, to the charity.

Might add that if clearing a house after dementia, it’s vital to check absolutely everything that could possibly serve as a ‘container’ - old shoes, cereal packets, everything, because ‘squirrelling away’ in weird places is a real Thing with dementia.

A colleague found over £2000 stashed in between a pile of old newspapers in an old uncle’s house.