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I recently found two 100$ bills on the grass in the space between my house and the neighbor's house. I asked my neighbor (who isn't a very trustworthy person) if it was his, and his response makes me very suspicious he's lying. The conversation went something like this:

  • Me: Hey, did you lose anything recently?
  • Him: No, why?
  • Me: I found some cash in my front yard.
  • Him: Oh right! I just remembered! It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was mowing the grass this morning.
  • Me: Didn't you mow the grass just two days ago?
  • Him: I missed a spot.
  • Me: How much did you lose, and in bills of which size?
  • Him: Why the **** are you asking me that? Just give me my money.
  • Me: Because I want to make sure it's yours.
  • Him: Just give back my ******* money before I call the police.
  • Me: I'll give it to you if you just answer my question.
  • Him: You don't trust your own ****** neighbor?! If I don't get it back by tomorrow I'm calling the police. [He slams the door in my face.]

What does the law say about money found like this?

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    Where are you based? In germany, keeping more then 10€ without reporting it would be illegal according to §246 criminal code.
    – Polygnome
    Jul 18, 2020 at 8:21
  • Really this is off-topic, as it is a request for legal advice. However answers can certainly tell you what the law is about found money. Please edit your question to say what jurisdiction (country and probably state) you are in, as answers are likely to vary.
    – Paul Johnson
    Jul 18, 2020 at 11:07
  • I've edited the question at the bottom to bring it on topic.
    – Paul Johnson
    Jul 18, 2020 at 11:08
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    You say the money was found in the gap between two houses. Who's property was it on?
    – Paul Johnson
    Jul 18, 2020 at 11:09
  • Here there are German and UK laws for the same topic: Is it legal to keep a small amount of cash I found on the street?
    – Mark Johnson
    Jul 19, 2020 at 3:00

1 Answer 1

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As a legal matter, you need to call or visit your local police station, report that you found some lost money, answer their questions honestly and dispassionately (they don't care about your hate etc. unless it's causing an active situation they have to deal with, and even then they don't much want to hear you go on about it), and then let them deal with it. You can tell your neighbor, if he inquires, that you have handed the matter to the local police and he can inquire with them about claiming it; feel free to ask the police to affirm that's the suitable course of action. You can expect to be given legal possession of it if they are unable to determine the true owner in accordance with local law. You can ask the police for details on that, though they'll probably just tell you as a matter of procedure without prompting.

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