£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?

[janesmithsdog]

No way I’d have declared that!

[Gusfringrules]

Wow! The number of dishonest people on this thread
You are setting a crap example to your children

[Henerlo]

The majority of people don't pay inheritance tax.

You definitely did the right thing OP. You'd have felt majorly guilty if you'd have kept it and wouldn't have enjoyed whatever you'd spent the money on. With sums like that, if you really wanted it you could take on a second job for a year, just a few hours a week. If it's not worth doing that, to you, it's not worth being dishonest either.

[ElizabethDarcy88]

There was no in current money, nothing past 2001 so I think I was the father's (he died before the wife) and they didn't know it was there.

[myusernamewastakenbyme]

Never look a gift horse in the mouth !!!

[Blossomtoes]

You did the right thing. I’m really shocked by the level of dishonesty on display here.

[pedropony76]

God, I see what you are doing for others. Why can’t this sort of thing happen to me! I promise I would have kept it and enjoyed my blessing

[FAQs]

I bet this ends up in the newspapers as a, what would to do piece.

[oakleaffy]

@BowiesJumper

Is it in current notes, or obsolete ones? Might give an indication as to how long it’s been there.

Definitely.
When ex SIL's father died, a tradesman, her family found loads of notes of various ages stashed about the place after he's died, where people had paid him cash.

[KJCB1210]

How long have you lived in the house? If it's been a while I would have stayed quiet. But if it's more recent I would probably tell someone like you did.

prob is, there's no evidence who cash belongs to!

[YukoandHiro]

This thread is a bit depressing. Everyone saying they would just keep it! I would feel so guilty if I didn't declare it - it's part of a dead person's estate. You don't know the bereaved family's financial situation.

[MarshaBradyo]

@FAQs

I bet this ends up in the newspapers as a, what would to do piece.

You could be right

[ElizabethDarcy88]

We moved in 30th September last year and are just getting round to updating very old kitchen.

[diddl]

If I'd found it myself I might have kept schtum!

[PersilPower]

You did the right thing. Good karma and all that OP, you will be rewarded for this somehow. For those with a finders keepers attitude, I wonder how you’d feel if this was money your elderly parent had left behind?

[RosesAndHellebores]

I think you have the bestest builder in the world frankly.

[JaninaDuszejko]

@myusernamewastakenbyme

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.

It did go into someone's pocket, your thieving husbands.

[OperationRinka]

Bear in mind that if you rocked up to the bank wanting to deposit four thousand pounds in notes without letting on where they came from they might have awkward questions. People have been known to have their bank accounts frozen with disastrous consequences in similar circumstances.

[Aphantasia]

My dad did stuff like this, years after he dies my Mun found 5k in 50s stuffed into an envelope hidden in a book on a book shelf, she also found a couple of grand stashed under their mattress shortly after he passed away. She had no clue about either. Every so often she gets calls about bonds he’d taken out years ago that have matured again that she had no clue about

[Onwards22]

Oh wow that’s amazing!
I’ve always wanted to stubble across someone’s treasure when I’ve moved house!

Hopefully you will get a reward but I do believe in karma and think you will get paid back in some form soon.

I know it’s a different generation but I’ll never understand why people keep so much cash in their homes!
Imagine if he was alive and had a house fire!

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

If it was a probate sale - presumably an elderly former owner - I’d guess that they’d been squirrelling money away - it’s not at all uncommon.

If it were me I think I’d feel obliged to inform the solicitor - and I’d hope that whoever is selling would offer to go halves!

[Watapalava]

Honestly I think you’re off your head

you have no idea who’s it is and it’ll likely end up going to someone who it doesn’t belong to or caught up in fees

[Georgyporky]

You bought the house & its contents, that money is yours; don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
I'd split 50/50 with the fitter.

[PlanetNormal]

I would have spent it. The reality is that these days, £4K would quite soon be used up paying for tanks of fuel, trolleys of groceries & restaurant meals.