To think my friend shouldn't have taken this money?

[Gracelet]

She was at a National Trust type place which had a second hand book section. As she was browsing she found £165 hidden in one of the books. Rather than hand it in she just kept it and looked rather shocked when I said it was theft.

My perspective - the book belonged to the shop and therefore so does the money.

Her perspective - just luck she came across it so decided to keep it/the shop should have checked the books.

Just for extra info, she doesn't struggle with money but does live payday to payday.

Really? So even if there is CCTV, it's pretty hard to say who owns that money. What about if a tenner is found on the floor and my DS picks it up? is he stealing if he doesn't hand it in? Who does that money belong too?

What exactly do you think is going to happen if they have CCTV?

I would probalby have donated it, but if my DC were with me I am pretty sure I'd have let them buy something with the money, and I'd probably have bought something for myself too - including some cake in the cafe!

If this actually happened, then yes it is theft.

Goodness me, you couldn’t make it up

That’s all folks.

If I'd bought the book and took it home, to find the money in it, I wouldn't have taken the money back I don't think - is that still theft?

I'd be hoping it was one of these stories you hear about where someone wealthy leaves cash in places for people to find! Wistful thinking.

OP says her friend lives payday to payday so in all honestly she probably does need the money.

I’m sure it’s called theft by finding

Honestly id have kept the money but definitely bought the book. I live paycheck to paycheck and with 3 DCs money is very tight, it would come in handy right now. Why is it theft, who exactly is she stealing from and how on earth would she find them to hand it back?? The cashier probably would've just kept it too, or put it in their donations tin! The book was donated, that belongs to the trust. In my opinion the money doesnt belong to them.

I would have bought the book… and it’s contents 😊 that wouldn’t be theft would it?!

It doesn’t belong to anyone who finds it either?

Just for extra info, she doesn't struggle with money but does live payday to payday

Theft aside (and it is theft) I am interested how your friend doesn't struggle for money but lives payday to payday? Surely it's one or the other?

I remember my mother found a few hundred on the pavement. She did phone the police and they said to take it in.

She said no but to contact her if anyone contacted them. No-one ever did so she kept it. Her rationale was that if no-one claimed it the police would keep it.

Many, many years ago my brother, a friend and I found a 10 shilling note (equivalent of 50p). My dad took it to the police station and 6 months later, when it was unclaimed, he retrieved it and shared it between us. I still believe that is the correct thing to do, though not sure how the police would react. I would tell the shop what I was doing in case the donor got in touch.

If she's living pay day to pay day, she's struggling.

This is all a bit dramatic. Chuck a fiver in a charity pot and balance it out. I'd of kept it, that's two weeks food shopping or 5 weeks travel expenses or my yearly boiler service or Christmas presents paid for or well you get the drift. If your friend is living pay day to pay day she either needs the money or she spends that much £165 is nothing to her so she wouldn't of taken it. I'm pleased for her I hope she uses it wisely and that when she gets the chance she pays it forward

I don't believe most of the people who are saying that they would have handed the money in. It had been hidden away in the book by someone who is almost certainly untraceable - if your friend had left it there, the next person to have picked up the book would only have found it and taken it. If she had handed the money in, how could she be sure that it wouldn't have just been kept by the person she gave it to?

Once my mum developed dementia, she used to hide money in her books, and I would never have expected the charity i donated her belongings to to have contacted me if money had been found in one of her books! I would have just thought that the person who found it was having a lucky day.

I suppose in this case I would have bought the book though! 😆😆

Re finding money on the pavement - I found some recently ( it ws IRO £20 ) just cash . I phoned our local police and they said they only take money in if it is in a recognisable purse / wallet / bag etc. ) We we thinking of a hearing dogs charity so we gave it to them. I am sure if I found £2000 in a holdall they would have wanted it handed in. Honestly I think it is a bit shifty just to take the money out and keep it. She could have bought the book and handed in to the police as in something recognisable ( fair to deduct price of book ) and then after a time it would have been hers.

But people have different ways of thinking. Someone I know took a bunch of flowers left by the side of the road after an accident and took them home to put in a vase "as they'll just go to waste"

Ok so find out who it belongs to, il keep the money until such a day happens

Phoning the police over £20 found on the pavement?
Bloody hell.

Out of curiosity, do you know how much the original book cost OP?

I'd have taken it and not told an envious friend about it. Anything that could be described as "luck", is best kept a secret from friends, colleagues, neighbours and most of the family - it's one of those things that fosters good relationships. Unfortunately.

I don't understand how people can do this and not feel any guilt.

I struggle as a single parent, but no way would I even dream of keeping the money. I'd just hand it in.

Peak mumsnet

Probably costs more in police time to answer and deal with the call 🤣