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If you found a plastic bag behind the Lottery office with 2 million cash in it

I would turn it in to to the cops

[ 10 ]

[ 23.3% ]

I would take it home, and wait a year to spend it

[ 20 ]

[ 46.5% ]

I would bring it in to the lottery office

[ 2 ]

[ 4.7% ]

I don't know

[ 6 ]

[ 13.9% ]

other

[ 5 ]

[ 11.6% ]

Total valid votes

[ 43 ]

Discarded votes

[ 0 ]

pacattack05

United States
Member #17,554
June 22, 2005
5,582 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 9:54 am

I think that according to the law, you have to turn in money found.

However, I will keep my opinions to myself on this one, as not to self incriminate myself, if I do find a bag one day...LOL

I did this poll because of something I responded to in another thread.

ALIEN FROM PLANET BORKAN

bonita springs florida
United States
Member #17858
June 22, 2005
3351 Posts
Online

There's a retirement community about 20 miles from where I live in Bonita Springs called Shell Pointe, and in other sections there is general housing, apartments and the such.

About 9 or so years ago, 3 or 4 huge black garbage bags were found just inside the entrance by the wayside of the road. I forget, but it was either a man, or the cleaning crew who found the bags and looked inside. What they found was a large amount of cash in them. I think it was about 5 million. I believe it was bank robbery or something that went bad.

The person or persons only received something like a couple a hundred bucks reward, if I remember correctly. It could be a little more but not sure.

spy153

United States
Member #28,408
December 15, 2005
1,200 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 10:57 am

pacattack, this one is tricky. I have to say, I don't know.

voir-vous dans mes reves!
tnlotto1

nashville
United States
Member #49,894
February 18, 2007
1,181 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 12:25 pm

i voted turn it into the cops because that is too much money for no one to miss it and you never know how it will turn out because what if you ended up in witness protection program because it was drug money and you had to testify against the drug dealers.
SirMetro

East of Atlanta
United States
Member #6,191
August 11, 2004
1,390 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 12:39 pm

I am not sure about other states, but here in GA, the reward for turning in money bags that are labeled such as Wells Fargo is 10%. BUT, if you KEEP it and get caught, you risk going to jail the same as if you stole it, no matter how you happen upon it. And yes, there has been a few cases where a guy found a couple of Wells Fargo (or similiar company) bags of money. After sitting on it for 24 hours, he did turn them in and got a 10% reward for his efforts.
BTW...statue of limitations for stolen money is 7 years, not sure about lost/found money. However, I did once hear a story of a guy who was dumpster diving at a local landfill found like $10K in a bag. Turned it in and if not claimed after 30 days, it becomes his (and gets reported to the IRS, so yes, he had to pay taxes on it as well). Since it had trace amounts of drugs on it, no one claimed it and he got to receive it after 30 days. So...now what do you think about dumpster diving?
Sir Metro
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
Member #30,469
January 17, 2006
11,788 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 3:21 pm

I want to say turn it into the lottery or the cops. That's what I want to say.

However, in the late 1950's in Jersey City, a guy and his kid were walking down the street when they saw a car in a driveway with the trunk half open. So the guy looks inside, and there's a satchel with $50,000 in it. He knocks on the door of the house, no one home.
He took the satchel with the money in it to a police station and turned it into the desk sergeant.
Don' forget this was in the 1950's and $50,000.
The desk sergeant disappeared.

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
justxploring

Wandering Aimlessly
United States
Member #25,359
November 5, 2005
4,461 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 3:49 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Apr 23, 2007
I want to say turn it into the lottery or the cops. That's what I want to say.

However, in the late 1950's in Jersey City, a guy and his kid were walking down the street when they saw a car in a driveway with the trunk half open. So the guy looks inside, and there's a satchel with $50,000 in it. He knocks on the door of the house, no one home.
He took the satchel with the money in it to a police station and turned it into the desk sergeant.
Don' forget this was in the 1950's and $50,000.
The desk sergeant disappeared.

OMG!!

Famous expression I always use

"NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED" -- Clare Booth Luce

I don't know what I'd do. I guess after seeing Scarface and the chainsaw scene, I'd be afraid the money was drug money and someone would find me and torture me. I would turn it into the police, but I would also feel like a fool. So I guess I'm no saint, huh?
By the way, my last blog entry was on money laundering. (although I was kidding around) It's not very easy to hide $2 million and the penalties are very stiff. You could probably be prosecuted under the Patriot Act too, since terrorists use hiding money in various accounts, buying insurance, cars, real estate, etc. to hide money.
DoubleDown

Coastal Georgia
United States
Member #2,653
October 30, 2003
1,866 Posts
Offline

Apr 23, 2007, 5:27 pm

I am pretty sure I would keep it.
Put it this way- I would have to have a long talk with myself to find a reason to turn it in.
angelm

richmond ky.
United States
Member #15,876
May 22, 2005
8,474 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 5:40 pm

Don't really know
Guru101

Indiana
United States
Member #48,723
January 7, 2007
1,961 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 5:42 pm

I would keep it. Of course you are faced with several problems if you do. If you keep it all in cash you have to keep it in a very safe place so no one will steal it. If you want to put it into a bank account, you'll probably have to hide from the IRS.

Gonna win.
justxploring

Wandering Aimlessly
United States
Member #25,359
November 5, 2005
4,461 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 5:52 pm

Any transaction with a cash amount over $10,000 has to be reported doesn't it? I worked at a car dealership a long time ago and I remember when everyone had to watch a movie about the possibility of someone walking in with a suitcase full of cash. It was actually very funny, like the old anti-marijuana movies. (anyone see Reefer Madness made in 1936?) I'm trying to picture what $2 million would look like. 100,000 20 dollar bills or maybe 40,000 50 dollar bills or 20,000 100 dollar bills....or a mix of all of them. That's a lot of paper! It would be nice to roll in it, although I understand money has more germs on it than just about anything we touch. It's a dirty world out there I tell ya!!
pacattack05

United States
Member #17,554
June 22, 2005
5,582 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 6:02 pm

It would be nice to roll in it, although I understand money has more germs on it than just about anything we touch. It's a dirty world out there I tell ya!!
That's why they have to launder money...
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
Member #30,469
January 17, 2006
11,788 Posts
Offline

Apr 23, 2007, 6:26 pm

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Apr 23, 2007
Any transaction with a cash amount over $10,000 has to be reported doesn't it? I worked at a car dealership a long time ago and I remember when everyone had to watch a movie about the possibility of someone walking in with a suitcase full of cash. It was actually very funny, like the old anti-marijuana movies. (anyone see Reefer Madness made in 1936?) I'm trying to picture what $2 million would look like. 100,000 20 dollar bills or maybe 40,000 50 dollar bills or 20,000 100 dollar bills....or a mix of all of them. That's a lot of paper! It would be nice to roll in it, although I understand money has more germs on it than just about anything we touch. It's a dirty world out there I tell ya!!

Reporting Cash Transactions Over $10,000:

http://www.yale.edu/tax/docs/rules_def_8300.pdf
http://www.uh.edu/treasury/FAQ_Reporting%20Cash%20Payments%20of%20Over%20$10K.pdf

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
Guru101

Indiana
United States
Member #48,723
January 7, 2007
1,961 Posts
Offline

Apr 23, 2007, 6:34 pm

Is there a way to legitimately put that much money that you found somewhere into the bank? Can you pay taxes on it?

Gonna win.
MegaWinner

New Jersey
United States
Member #50,271
March 3, 2007
348 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 10:01 pm

Sorry, but that bag is coming home with me. Finders keepers, losers weepers!!!

I got my fingers crossed ready to win!!!
Big Hitter

Brick City
United States
Member #1,216
March 3, 2003
1,984 Posts
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Apr 23, 2007, 11:14 pm

I voted to keep it and wait the year then spend it. Not worried about the consequences, since I found it and didn't steal it. If it wasn't meant for me to find it, I wouldn't have found it...

Whatever you fear most has no power - it is your fear that has the power.
Oprah Winfrey
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
(attributed to) Albert Einstein
I have failed many times, and that's why I am a success.
Michael Jordan
My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals
himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.
Albert Einstein

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