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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:
CailleachGranda · 24/02/2022 22:06

@Onelifeonly

Unless someone suddenly realises they have given away their blanket containing a stash of money and contacts the shop (but why would they have given it in the first place if that was the case?), I think you should do whatever makes you happy with the money.

So you could tell the shop in case anyone asks, but don't forget, someone at the shop has already assessed the sales worthiness of the item and didn't notice the notes themselves. Who is fit to judge where the money should end up? Only the person who knows about it.

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

Do what feels right to you.

Glee

How nice of you. Some poor sod lost that and as a pp said, it could be the difference between eating or not that week

Classy

Silvershroud · 24/02/2022 22:06

As you say, the shop won't know the owner. Charity CEOs are on 6 figure sums (I read Aspinalls Zoo pays the wife of Mike Aspinall 150k p.a.for interior design work, for example (I guess the cages don't decorate themselves). Keep it.

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 24/02/2022 22:06

There was never any intention to donate the money to the charity shop so I don’t think the OP owes them any of it (unless she waits to donate). I would be concerned about the donor, but I suspect that it’s been donated after a house clearance/death. If it were me I’d hang on to it for a while in case I read / heard of an appeal for its return (and I’d keep an active look out for this). Then I’d divide it up and donate it to good causes of my choice. But I’m ok for money (not well off, but not struggling). If I was struggling financially I’d probably keep it. This is not like finding money in the street, when I’d definitely hand in anything over £50.

DarlingDarwin · 24/02/2022 22:06

If you take something to the police and no one claims it after a certain time period you get to keep it I believe. So you could do this so that it’s guilt free? Then explain to the charity that you found a small amount of money in the quilt, and give them the police address for if anyone asks about it. Then in a few months time you can just keep it, with no bad feeling.

AllTheWorldIsGreen · 24/02/2022 22:07

I had to clear out my elderly mum's house recently as she moved abroad. It was horrible, she hasn't died but had to leave the majority of her things behind. She was quite relieved to be shot of them to be honest. But I know she has had quite large sums of money hidden around the place and I failed to find them. I do wonder if something like what you are describing happened and if so I hope whoever benefits is lovely and deserving. Nothing I can do about it now and I did look.

saraclara · 24/02/2022 22:07

I'm registered for gift aid, and when I take in a bag of stuff, it's all priced with a label that has a bar code, which traces it back to me. That's how they're able to send me a letter annually saying how much my items have fetched.

If you still have the price label, OP, they can probably trace the donor. But if you're anything like me I suspect you binned it fairly promptly.

InsanityRocks · 24/02/2022 22:08

@mumda

Gosh it's just like a story out of Tammy comic. Only that was a cushion.
What was the ending?
blanketyblanked · 24/02/2022 22:08

Give some to charity - any charity close to your heart, not necessarily the one you got it from. Then don't spend it on holiday but something important, like paying off rent or mortgage or savings. That should absolve your conscience. What I would do, anyway!

2021s · 24/02/2022 22:08

@Lockheart
“You may laugh but I've currently got 8 pieces which need framing, one quilt that needs backing, and two pieces in progress. Even I don't know what I'm going to do with them. Lockdown has a lot to answer for”

😂😂 please sew a pound coin into each piece for future mumsnetters to agonise over

PukkaP · 24/02/2022 22:09

I'd give the money back to the charity.

Thewindwhispers · 24/02/2022 22:09

Have a google but I think in England the legal position is thet you can only keep ‘found’ money if you don’t know who it belongs to AND have no way of finding out. There was a lady who was arrested I think for keeping money she found in a shop: the judge felt she should have asked the shoo to check cctv to find out who had dropped it.

Probably an old lady hid their savings in their blanket, died and all their stuff got sent to charity shops (in which case it belongs to who ever inherited their money).

But it could also be thst someone has lost their life savings and is desperately trying to track it down…

In your position I would definitely ask the shop for help finding the owner / ask the police on their non urgent number what to do. I wouldn’t keep it without making reasonable attempts to find the owner. (Especially if I’d paid by card in the shop and was therefore traceable).

Sideswiped · 24/02/2022 22:09

What @FlasherMcGruff said. Try to find the original owner via the charity shop / police (just tell them you've found something they might like returned).
If they don't turn up anything, in your position I'd donate a proportion of it to the charity shop concerned or another charity.

PeeAche · 24/02/2022 22:10

This is clearly a drug dealer's patchwork blanket. Drug dealers are well known for hand stitching patchwork blankets in order to hide their stash. If you check the other corners, you will probably find half an ounce of hash and a USB stick filled with pirated movies.

Tbh the charity shop are probably in on it. Don't call the police, because you're implicated now.

The best thing you can do is "launder" the money. Use non-bio and dry on low. Then spend it on something that is a treat but not too much of a treat. Like a bottle of Malibu and some really nice bread that hasn't already been reduced.
Or like a 2 night break in Wiltshire at a mid range hotel.

Good luck, OP.xxx

RainingYetAgain · 24/02/2022 22:11

As someone earlier said, some donated items can be tracked as I used to get a statement from one charity saying how much the goods I had donated had raised.
I am not sure taking to the Police is a good idea- when I found some money and spoke to the Police they advised that if I handed it in and it wasn't claimed it would be forfeit and I wouldn't get it back. They noted it and my details and told me to keep it for 28 days and then it was mine if they hadn't got back to me. They did ask what I had already done ( Local FB, Notice in the Pub) and said that I had been reasonable. Let the Police know, in case someone accuses you of theft by finding- don't know if that is relevant.
I would contact the charity shop, ask them if they are aware of the donor as there had been some money sewn into the blanket you purchased and you would like to return it to the donor.
If you get to keep it, you could donate to the Charity.

TronDeReplay · 24/02/2022 22:12

@Silvershroud

As you say, the shop won't know the owner. Charity CEOs are on 6 figure sums (I read Aspinalls Zoo pays the wife of Mike Aspinall 150k p.a.for interior design work, for example (I guess the cages don't decorate themselves). Keep it.
As has been explained several times, they might well know who donated it if OP has the price tag.

What a CEO is paid has nothing to do with whether it's right to keep money someone may have lost in error and might be needed.
Can't believe the bollocks people on here will use to "justify" being dishonest.

Alexandra2001 · 24/02/2022 22:12

£50s and new? its drug money stash. A little old lady storing her life savings ain't going to be sewing up new style £50s - i mean where would she get them from and why?

Keep it with a clear conscience, you ve stopped someone OD ing!

Crayzeefrog · 24/02/2022 22:12

You could post a photo of the quilt on some local groups in the guise of taking an interest in who made it. Someone might come forward to say it was their granny and you can return the money to the family.

In all honesty though, I would keep it

KirstenBlest · 24/02/2022 22:15

I'll be keeping an eye on my local groups. My granny was an avid crocheter

CakesOfVersailles · 24/02/2022 22:15

Contact the shop, tell them there was a personal item in the blanket and leave your contact details. If someone gets in touch with them or if they have the donator's contact details (regular donator or gift aid) they can contact you. If you don't hear anything after three months, spend it.

I wouldn't recommend posting anything on FB etc but if you do, don't say you found money, just a picture of the blanket.

I have had money returned before when I really needed it.

TroysMammy · 24/02/2022 22:15

My DP volunteers in a charity shop and when asked he said what @xxxsuper and @Aurorie11 said above.

BreadInCaptivity · 24/02/2022 22:16

There is no point going back to the shop.

There is zero chance they will know who donated it and there is a chance you might get involved in a protracted dispute about it.

If it were me I'd keep some and donate some to a charity (or plural) of my choice.

As to what that split would be depends on how much money it is and which charities I wanted to donate to (basically how much of the donation actually gets spent on the cause rather than funding the charity).

For example I'd rather give £500 to a local good cause project such as to repair a proverbial church roof/playground/village hall than the same to a large charity.

WonderfulYou · 24/02/2022 22:16

When I find money I take it back to the shop I found it and the person has always come back for it.

However in this case the person may not have realised yet so hasn’t returned.

I would speak to the shop and put a post on the local Facebook page with a photo of the blanket asking who gave it to the charity shop as there was a letter inside which they may want back - obviously now you’ve posted it on MN someone might see your post and claim it’s theirs.

CowboyJo · 24/02/2022 22:17

I would contact the police. Make sure it's not laced with something sketchy. Tell them where you found it too.

£50 notes and thousands worth stashed in one particular area of the quilt sounds extremely suspicious. Why would an old lady put that kind of money in there?

augustusglupe · 24/02/2022 22:17

PeeAche

You're very knowledgeable Grin

UndertheCedartree · 24/02/2022 22:18

When I first read your post I thought how wonderful not to need to worry about utilities and food for a while. Maybe it was meant to be!

But then I read you are going on holiday and would use it for that. Which made me think you don't need it.

And then I thought what if it is someone's life savings and the blanket was donated accidentally.

I'd maybe ring the shop to find out if anyone has phoned to get it back (not sure exactly what you would say, mind you!) At least then you know you'd tried. If not then perhaps donate some of the money to the charity.

You are completely entitled to keep the money. And I hope you can use some for some extra treats on holiday. But if a friend in your situation asked me that is what I would say.