(July 20, 2014 at 6:05 pm)GalacticBusDriver Wrote: You know, I've found wallets an purses and always returned them intact. If I find cash, unless I see who dropped it, there is no way to identify who's it is or how to return it to them. It's not like I can take out an ad. "Found at Starbucks. 100 dollar bill. Call 555-1212 and describe to claim." So, yeah, I'm gonna keep it.
I use a very old bit of common law to decide what to do with found money. It's the difference between lost and mislaid (at law anyway). A thing is mislaid if it's left someplace the owner would likely go looking for it. It's lost if it fell out of his pocket somewhere he'd be unlikely to go looking.
So, if I find $100 on the street, and I didn't see who dropped it and it's not in a wallet or purse with ID, it's mine. If I find it next to the ATM I'll put out that ad. I just expect the person claiming it to know which ATM it was and which day he dropped it.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
