Stranger found $1,300 in Publix parking lot – they didn’t keep any of it but weren’t thanked for a good reason

A LUCKY man came into $1,300 on an ordinary trip to Publix, but things took a turn when he decided to turn the money in.

He made the day of a fellow Floridian who dropped a wad of cash when juggling a handful of items in the Publix parking lot.

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A routine shopping trip to a Publix in Clearwater, Florida left one man’s pockets a lot emptier than when he walked in.

Chris Woods had $1,300 wedged between his work and personal phones when he figured he dropped the pile of cash.

Woods described trying to reach for one of his devices in the store parking lot to local Fox affiliate WTVT. This is where he suspects he fumbled, letting the cash fall to the floor.

“About as low as you can get, honestly. What do you do at that point? It was my fault,” he told WTVT.

“We looked everywhere for it,” he continued. “I went everywhere and assumed it was gone.”

Woods never suspected the money would turn up or that he wouldn’t be able to thank the good samaritan who found it.

Upon realizing it was lost, he got in touch with local law enforcement, who shared the situation on social media.

In a post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office provided two surveillance photos of Woods shopping on July 3, 2018.

The clip was also aired on WTVT. 

“Detectives request public’s assistance in identifying a man they say accidentally dropped a large sum of money while shopping at a Publix in Pinellas County,” said the sheriff’s office in the post.

“Anyone with information as to the identity of the citizen is asked to contact Corporal David Schafer at (727) 582-6355.”

CASH COMEBACK

With little engagement on the post, things weren’t looking good for Woods.

That is, until the next morning when a neighbor from across the street came “beating on [his] door,” he told WTVT.

The neighbor said, “Chris, you were on the news. They found your money,” Woods said.

Though he was ecstatic, Woods never had the chance to thank the man whose identify remained anonymous, according to WTVT.

Rules on finding money

The saying “finders, keepers

While state and local laws may differ slightly, the majority will require you to attempt to find the owner of the money.

If you fail to make reasonable efforts to track down the owner, many states can charge you with theft or larceny of lost property.

The penalty will most likely be based on the value of the lost property as larger finds that are kept without making reasonable efforts to find the owner may be classed as a felony rather than a misdemeanor.

The term reasonable efforts includes asking people nearby if they dropped any cash, checking the envelope or wallet (if there is one) for an ID, handing it into a nearby store, or contacting the police on a non-emergency line.

Some laws will authorize the police to return the money to the finder if no one has claimed it after a period of time.

Always check your local and state laws which will most likely outline what to do if you find property or cash.

It is also advised that you contact the police or a criminal defense lawyer who can assist in what the laws state and how you should proceed.

Source: Criminal Defense Lawyer

He told the outlet he would never forget the Fourth of July of that year.

“There’s good people in this world,” Woods said to WTVT. “[I’m] very blessed a good person found it.”

While the finder never got their five minutes of fame, another person, who found a bag of money outside of a New Hampshire Hannaford, was offered a reward.

A woman was driving with her 15-year-old son when she saw a bag of money fall from a large Brink’s security truck with its back door hanging open, The U.S. Sun previously reported.

She said she found stacks of bills totaling around $1,000.

After turning in the cash, an employee offered her a $20 gift card for her honestly, though she decided to turn it down.