Finder's rights to lost cash (in Pennsylvania)?
State: Pennsylvania
Hello everyone, my name's Chris. I need some help filling in my legal knowledge gaps about something, so any help would be appreciated. Here's my situation:
About three months ago in May, I found an envelope with a large sum (over $200) of money in the parking lot of my place of employment. I could use the extra cash (I'm a poor college graduate), but I decided to report the money to my manager and our local police department instead of pocketing it. An officer came to my workplace, counted the money, and told me that he would call me within the next few days in regards to the station's policy on lost property (he didn't know off the top of his head). He did not give me a receipt of any kind. The officer never got around to calling me, so I started visiting the station once in a while to inquire about it (I figured that calling would be less informative/productive).
A month after I turned in the money, I was finally able to get in touch with the officer, who said that he had looked up the law, but forgot what it said, and that he would call me. He didn't, so I again periodically visited the station until I could catch him, at which point he confidently told me, "after 60 days, the money is all yours!" I went to the station after the two months were up, and was told that I would actually have to stop by when both the officer AND a supervisor were present. They said they would call me. They didn't (3 out of 3).
I stopped by today and the officer and some supervisors were actually on duty. However, the officer told me, "Bad news. You don't get the money. We actually have to send it to the State Treasury. What I told you before was... er, from an unreliable source." I stepped outside and called the treasury, and they told me that if the owner wasn't found that the money would just sit on a shelf forever, and that I had absolutely no claim to it, but that I should speak with the police station in question. I went back into the station and ended up speaking with the Deputy Chief. He basically told me that I was wasting my time if I tried to get the money back, and was very reluctant to:
He did, however:
And that's it. I did the right thing, and I was very polite and patient throughout the whole process, but I feel that uniquely vague sort of frustration that you can only feel when you've experienced injustice (not to mention the department's lack of communication with me and general attitude). I feel like I've gotten the runaround and that there's something not quite right about the whole thing. It's not really about the money anymore – I just want to know what my actual rights are, because if somebody pocketed this or spent it on a police pizza party (...PPP?), then you can bet heads are gonna roll. Does anyone have advice, knowledge, or similar experiences to share?
More specifically, does anyone know what Pennsylvania's laws state in regards to this kind of a situation?
Thanks a lot!
State: Pennsylvania
Hello everyone, my name's Chris. I need some help filling in my legal knowledge gaps about something, so any help would be appreciated. Here's my situation:
About three months ago in May, I found an envelope with a large sum (over $200) of money in the parking lot of my place of employment. I could use the extra cash (I'm a poor college graduate), but I decided to report the money to my manager and our local police department instead of pocketing it. An officer came to my workplace, counted the money, and told me that he would call me within the next few days in regards to the station's policy on lost property (he didn't know off the top of his head). He did not give me a receipt of any kind. The officer never got around to calling me, so I started visiting the station once in a while to inquire about it (I figured that calling would be less informative/productive).
A month after I turned in the money, I was finally able to get in touch with the officer, who said that he had looked up the law, but forgot what it said, and that he would call me. He didn't, so I again periodically visited the station until I could catch him, at which point he confidently told me, "after 60 days, the money is all yours!" I went to the station after the two months were up, and was told that I would actually have to stop by when both the officer AND a supervisor were present. They said they would call me. They didn't (3 out of 3).
I stopped by today and the officer and some supervisors were actually on duty. However, the officer told me, "Bad news. You don't get the money. We actually have to send it to the State Treasury. What I told you before was... er, from an unreliable source." I stepped outside and called the treasury, and they told me that if the owner wasn't found that the money would just sit on a shelf forever, and that I had absolutely no claim to it, but that I should speak with the police station in question. I went back into the station and ended up speaking with the Deputy Chief. He basically told me that I was wasting my time if I tried to get the money back, and was very reluctant to:
- show me the actual operating procedures of the department regarding this kind of situation.
- show me the PA laws regarding this kind of situation.
- show me the police report.
- show or give me anything in writing whatsoever.
He did, however:
- say that the officer I had been in contact with must have been confused because he's from Vermont. (I find this questionable. He took the time to look into it, so it's not like he suddenly recalled Vermont law weeks after the incident.)
- tell me the laws could be found on the Treasury's website. (I haven't found anything. What about you guys?)
- say that unclaimed property is transferred to the Treasury every April (meaning the money should still be at the station).
- say that such property either sits there, is auctioned off if sellable, or is put into the state's coffers if easily liquidated (such as cash). This conflicts slightly with what the treasury told me.
- give me a copy of the "complaint report" from my actual call to the station. I guess it's sort of a "details-lite" version of the police report. It says that I found money in the parking lot, but not how much. Still, it's better than nothing.
And that's it. I did the right thing, and I was very polite and patient throughout the whole process, but I feel that uniquely vague sort of frustration that you can only feel when you've experienced injustice (not to mention the department's lack of communication with me and general attitude). I feel like I've gotten the runaround and that there's something not quite right about the whole thing. It's not really about the money anymore – I just want to know what my actual rights are, because if somebody pocketed this or spent it on a police pizza party (...PPP?), then you can bet heads are gonna roll. Does anyone have advice, knowledge, or similar experiences to share?
More specifically, does anyone know what Pennsylvania's laws state in regards to this kind of a situation?
Thanks a lot!
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