Girl in Dallas finds $2000, turns it in. Owner can't be found, so the city keeps it - Polidicks

[url]http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-decides-to-keep-cash-found-by-honest-teen-121609364.html[/url] [quote]DALLAS — Dallas will keep $2,000 found by a teenager in a parking lot last February. The money will go into the city's general fund — not back to Plano high school student Ashley Donaldson, who found the cash in an envelope at the Pavillion Shopping Center in North Dallas. "I don't regret making the decision I did," she said. "I feel proud of myself for giving the money back. It's one of the biggest decisions of my life." The 15-year-old Shepton High School student spotted the money on the ground and took it to a nearby Chase Bank. Over the last three months, the bank and Dallas police have tried to find the owner, but have had no luck. On Tuesday, police said under a new city policy, the unclaimed money will go into Dallas' general fund — not back to the person who found it, as in years past. "We appreciate your honesty," said Dallas police spokesman Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse. "We're going to put the money to good use. It's not going to be wasted, but put to good use for the City of Dallas." That's not the answer Ashley Donaldson had been hoping for. "I was thinking about a car," she confessed. It's also not the lesson her parents wanted her to learn. "I'm happy that she did what she did, but the way it ended? I wish she didn't find it in the first place, because it certainly didn't teach her the right thing," her father Ben Donaldson said. At the time Ashley found the envelope full of money, she was living in a one-bedroom apartment with her parents and her four brothers and sisters. The family had recently moved to Texas from Colorado and could have used the money, but she felt that the $2,000 might mean more to its owner. "This could be someone else's life, this could be someone's home," she said. "If I took it, I could never live down the guilt that would be in me." Ashley said the bank was surprised to see such honesty, but her parents weren't. "It was like an experience that presented itself — like a test — and my daughter passed with flying colors beautifully," said Ben Donaldson[/quote] Come on Texas, can't you do SOMETHING right for a change?

Oh man that sucks so hard. So a person shows genuine charity for once, and the city just takes it for themselves? They should've given it back to her and let her use it whichever way she sees fit.

I don't see what's what's so bad about it, they should have donated it to some charity though.

What else is to be done with it? She gave the money to the city, and they couldn't find the owner. Maybe the local school can get some new computers with this or something.

Oh Texas you so crazy. [editline]11th May 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;29759173]What else is to be done with it? She gave the money to the city, and they couldn't find the owner..[/QUOTE] If it were me I'd give it back, good job you got lucky and did the right thing have a reward.

The government still needs money to operate so giving it to a charity isn't really necessary. It might have been nice, but still. The girl or her parents should get some tax credit though.

[QUOTE=Chickens!;29759186]Oh Texas you so crazy. [editline]11th May 2011[/editline] If it were me I'd give it back, good job you got lucky and did the right thing have a reward.[/QUOTE] Okay. Now, put your self in the shoes of someone in charge of a city that is in a huge amount of debt and any little bit helps... I bet you make a tough decision and help the city which in turn supports every citizen living there.

I hope you guys realize that finders keepers isn't a real legal precedent.

Am I like the only person that would keep the cash? I find it weird how everyone says they'd give it back to it's owner or turn them in in a police station.

[QUOTE=Stopper;29759272]Am I like the only person that would keep the cash? I find it weird how everyone says they'd give it back to it's owner or turn them in in a police station.[/QUOTE] if it was a small amount or something sure (a penny to around 5$ or so)

[QUOTE=Starpluck;29759164]I don't see what's what's so bad about it, they should have donated it to some charity though.[/QUOTE] I found a wallet with $100 and no ID in there, the police department held it for a week and then called me to say it was mine to take if I wanted it because they couldn't find the owner. I still use that wallet today.

[QUOTE=Stopper;29759272]Am I like the only person that would keep the cash? I find it weird how everyone says they'd give it back to it's owner or turn them in in a police station.[/QUOTE] you're not the only greedy fuck in the world and you're never gonna be

if i were me i'd have a very happy few days until i spent it all [editline]11th May 2011[/editline] mainly on porn subscriptions and games

I remember when I found a 20 dollar bill just laying on the floor in a hallway at school. When I saw it I was in such disbelief that such a large amount of money would be there that I didn't grab it at first, though some black kid appeared out of nowhere and took it. V:v:V

But that is like 70 steam games worth of money! Just kidding, but yeah the city will probably use it to pay for school supplies or something..

[QUOTE=Starpluck;29759164]I don't see what's what's so bad about it, they should have donated it to some charity though.[/QUOTE] The lack of the incentive to possibly receive found money if an owner can't be found will possibly lower the number of people who turn in found money rather than keeping it.

[QUOTE=TrulliLulli;29759407]if i were me i'd have a very happy few days until i spent it all [editline]11th May 2011[/editline] mainly on porn subscriptions and games[/QUOTE] Actually the girl said she was thinking about getting her car with the money

She should've at least got something, I'm sure karma will take care of it

[QUOTE=soapyy;29759431]But that is like 70 steam games worth of money! Just kidding, but yeah the city will probably use it to pay for school supplies or something..[/QUOTE] It's funny because they won't. Schools are ALWAYS the LAST priority of any city ever, and schools only get scraps of money.

If I found any amount of cash and it had no indications of who it might belong to, I'd keep it in a heartbeat.

I would have kept it

Well here it is like this: You turn something in, if the owner can't be found after a set amount of time, its yours and you get a certificate that you now legally own it. Simple as that. Got me a few bikes already that way. This is how it should be, because otherwise nobody has an incentive to turn it in. Why would they go through the hassle of going there, explaining the situation, taking their time with the people, and then have not even a chance of getting anything out of it? Of course it should be like that, and it would be nice if everyone was just honest and gave everything back. But if I'd lost something, I'd rather be sure that people think they might get a reward for being honest instead the system just going "Yeah too bad, next time you better keep it."

You realize this is the same state that denied a man his lottery winnings because an attendant clerk at the gas station kept his ticket after he confirmed it and then moved back to Nepal [B]and the ticket buyer proved it in court[/B], and they still won't give him his money. The only reason to give a shit about Texas is BioWare, Gearbox and Id, and Billy Bob's in FW. See Also: Texas board of education.

Erm in Britain if you do something like this and no one claims it then you get to keep it.

I would never turn in money that I've found to authorities, unless it really smells fishy.. no pun intended.

[QUOTE=Squad;29759213]The government still needs money to operate so giving it to a charity isn't really necessary. It might have been nice, but still. The girl or her parents should get some tax credit though.[/QUOTE] 2,000$ would probably pay for 6 inches of pipe to be laid, or maintain a homeless shelter for 15 minutes. 2 grand is nothing to government.

Damn, the things I would do for a quick $2000.

[QUOTE=CjienX;29759367]I found a wallet with $100 and no ID in there, the police department held it for a week and then called me to say it was mine to take if I wanted it because they couldn't find the owner. I still use that wallet today.[/QUOTE] That's how it works where I live too, even works for bikes and everything, Police storage is usually full, so when you find a bike, bring it to the police station, they usually tell you that you can keep the bike, but have to return it if the owner contacts you within the year, after that the bike is fully yours.

[QUOTE=CjienX;29759367]I found a wallet with $100 and no ID in there, the police department held it for a week and then called me to say it was mine to take if I wanted it because they couldn't find the owner. I still use that wallet today.[/QUOTE] My brother found $100 in a parking lot, and he bought himself an Xbox so we didn't have to share the old one anymore. More Tony Hawk Pro Skater for me :unsmith:

[QUOTE=Ninja Duck;29760757]My brother found $100 in a parking lot, and he bought himself an Xbox so we didn't have to share the old one anymore. More Tony Hawk Pro Skater for me :unsmith:[/QUOTE] Why not just buy more games? He has shitty reasoning, I'd rather have more games but share it with somebody than have less games but have it all to myself.