£4000 found when ripping out kitchen

[ElizabethDarcy88]

Today after having old kitchen ripped out our fitter found hidden a box and inside was £4000 in cash. ...we have informed solicitor who managed the sale. (It was a probate house sale) what do you think will happen?

Might have been one parent squirrelling it's away and they died before telling their husband or wife and then she or he died and that's why the children don't know about it.

Could also have been saved a long time ago and then forgotten about if the person became old and had dementia.

Just some examples of why the children selling the house were not aware of it.

It was the old £20 note another reason why we didn't as wasn't sure what bank would do if we tried to bank it

Wow 100% I would have kept the money and given the fitter a couple hundred £'s, however I've no idea what happens next for you!

I hope they share it with you. because its unusually honest of you to have owned up ! Make sure the solicitor doesn't pocket it !

I think the fact that those are the old £20 notes makes it more difficult. You couldn't bank it very easily.

Was it in a safe?

Nah you can still bank them til Sept and you can spend them! A few hundred quid here or there lol

It was found under the skirting board by the sink

You are such a decent, honest person. I really, really hope the inheritors of the state reward you substantially. I don't know if I would have done it, but I'd like to think I would have.

I think you’ve done the right thing legally and morally

how long have you been there?

The old £20 notes are valid till sept i would have used them to pay cash for shopping etc between now and sept and then any left paid into the bank

You really are a decent person. I hope that decency is rewarded by the beneficiary in some way.

We moved in September, there is a part of me that wishes we weren't so honest haha

I would have checked to see if the notes were out of date and then had a think

You’re absolutely mad to let on about this! Would your solicitor do anything if you found anything wrong with the house? No. Works both ways.

I think you’ve done the right thing. I know I’d have done that too. I’d probably regret it though

Wow why on earth did you let anyone know 😁

If it was a probate sale, there may now be a little more inheritance tax to pay by the previous owners.

I'd probably keep it and tip the fitter £500

Snap but definitely rather than probably.

Between the extra legal fees and the IHT, there may be nothing left to reward with.

it's going to be a toss up who wants the hassle. Was any of it current money OP?

A friend found several thousand pounds in very old notes under the floorboards in an almost derelict house she was renovating. Previous owners were deceased, as in this case. She was allowed to keep the lot, and the bank accepted at face value. Good luck. :)

Really unnecessary posts on here.

Lots of older people stash money away or people who are vulnerable in many ways.

Just because there are s many people on here who clearly don’t give a shit that this money might have been left by e.g. someone who was vulnerable and scared of using a bank account, doesn’t make the OP wrong for contacting the solicitor.

In fact I am shocked that there are so many people here who would hang on to 4 grand with no conscience.

And yet on other threads people are berating posters for not handing in £20 to the police.

This happened to my dh years ago....he used to do house clearances for the council...anyway an old person died and dh was asked to clear the flat...he asked if there was any next of kin etc and was told no and to dispose of everything...he found 5k down the back of a cupboard....he kept it....he said if he'd given it to the council it would have gone in someones pocket.

Oh yes! i hadn't realised that.