A GROUP of gardeners found a massive amount of money in a planter, however, other items were discovered that left them unnerved.
Volunteers with Garden for the Environment in San Francisco, California stumbled across a bag with $50,000 in cash in February while working.
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The bag of cash was stuffed inside a planter under a row cover, which is used to protect growing plants, according to Maggie Marks, the executive director of the garden.
“They thought it was a lot of money,” Marks told the San Francisco Standard.
“But I don’t think they realized how much there was. … The money was pretty stuck together.”
The volunteers searched through the money, guessing that the total was about $50,000, however, some of the bills were stuck together after being exposed to the elements, making it hard to accurately count.
They called the police who came “relatively quickly,” said Marks.
About seven officers arrived at the garden after the call.
Police were able to confirm that the money was found in the garden before taking it in as evidence.
It’s still unknown where the money came from or how it ended up at the community garden.
Marks believes it might have to do with Lunar New Year celebrations that happened the weekend before the discovery.
“It was just weird that the money was in such poor condition,” she said, adding that the napkins the money was wrapped in were in good condition compared to the actual bills.
RULES ON FINDING MONEY
The saying finders keepers is not always true as people who find money and keep it may quickly find out.
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 will be able to 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
“It almost looked like the money could have been burned before being wrapped in the napkin,” said Marks.
She added that the garden has volunteer days each month and the area where the money was discovered is “pretty highly trafficked.”
“Even if you couldn’t see it from walking by, it was in a relatively obvious spot,” said Marks.
However, she added that the mystery of the money has made both volunteers and staff a bit nervous.
“It is such a large sum of money that it is surprising—and kinda nerve-wracking,” said Marks. “Because how would someone misplace this money and not come looking for it?”
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