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Finding Money While Geocaching.


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Hmmm. Been reading this thread for some time. I would turn it over to the police, but then I'm biased. If the Officer you'll speak to knows his stuff, you'll get a property receipt with his (or the property manager's) signature on it, showing a date and time you turned it over. Inquire as to the *exact date & time* you can get your found money if no-one claims it - depending on the jurisdiction you are in this could be anywhere from 30-90 days. The problem is, tho, you've already posted a picture of it on here.... "...yeah, that is it, officer, a brown pill bottle with this breakdown of bills in it - it was hidden in a crack of a wall in this park, etc.". Was this public or private land you were on? A question might arise if this was private land. Just my thoughts... :)

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Was this public or private land you were on?  A question might arise if this was private land.  Just my thoughts... :)

The hiding place is a stone wall in a very busy public park. The park in question is Loose Park and in this rather large park is a rose garden with a small amphitheatre where a lot of people hold wedding ceremonies. In fact, while I was looking for the cache, they were having a wedding and I could see and hear the event. Anyways, the place is very public and people are always milling about this place.

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It was definately drugs. There are alot of dealers in KANSAS CITY because that is where everyone goes to buy drugs. :o

Now, now, don't you remember the commercials that were out a few years ago where they were like... "40% of drug use happens in large cities...... guess where the other 60% happens" then they show this suburban kid smoking a joint...

 

Now, then, if it were me, I'd do the best thing possible... Take that dirty money and turn it into something good - donate it to charity.

May I suggest my personal one? VJGC

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Why not leave an e-mail address on a note, indicating the date of the find, and that you'll hold it for 180 days from that date? Even homeless people can use library computer connections, and it won't link directly to you if you use a hotmail acct. or something.

 

I wouldn't fully enjoy the windfall unless I knew I'd done what I could to find the owner. And the six months will give you a chance to think about a cool way to blow the roll.

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I, too, am amazed at how many people think homeless people will just hop on the 'net. First of all, how many homeless people are elderly/mentally ill... Technology is certainly not something they'd be too accustomed to, and the 'net is probably not something they'd be familliar with.

Remember that just because you have a computer at home, work, the library, every relative/accuaintance/co worker's house, doesn't mean that homeless people do.

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Keep it...

 

1) For those saying that it's the same thing as a cache getting muggled...how so? A geocache isn't just placed somewhere with no notice of what it's doing there...caches have log books, notices on the actual container that it is a geocache..if found contact blah blah or go to gc.com etc etc etc...hardly the same as the pill bottle that Clear found...

 

2) Don't leave any info about yourself that can be traced back to you...obvious reasons...but I thought I had to mention it as others have as well...

 

3) The police...if you can't trust them...who can youi trust...if you think that way you are obviously not from around here (US)!

 

It was left there with no info as to why...we can speculate all we want...but it isn't the same as a muggle...muggles take things that are left and have a detailed description of what it is and why it is there...

 

Buy something nice...

 

-Six

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Some time ago, I hid my bicycle in the woods so no one would steal it while I went for a hike in the woods, when I returned, I found a note where I left it saying that if I wanted my bike, to contact this guy and he would give me my bike back.  I had to walk home and call this guy and get my bike back.  A short period later I hid it in a different spot thinking I was good to go for another short hike, when I returned this time, I found a note saying that if I wanted my bike back, to contact the police, I thought, Oh my God, someone kidnapped my bike.

 

Next time, I parked my bike it disappeared completely.

 

I guess my whole point is this--If I hide , stash, place, leave or otherwise put something in a location decided by me, why should anybody come along and decide to move it, safegaud it, protect it, or take in to their possesion without my consent?

 

This discussion has become extremely entertaining--and we complain when someone loots our caches?

 

Your act may have been noble, but it has caused you much grief my friend.

 

I have been living in Japan for 2 and a half years and here they live by a code.  If you leave something laying around, you know it will be there when you return.

 

Aren't we leaving our caches in places expecting OTHER people outside of GEOCACHING to leave them alone?

After the first time, I would have bought a lock and cable and locked my bike to a tree, etc......that way, someone who meantwell would be advised that teh bike was put there on purpose....ift would also keep a thief from stealing it as easily....

 

I like the "code" you speak about in Japan...but lets face it, in todays world there are three types.....ones that steal, ones who will "take care of" someone else's belongings for them if found, and those who dont care and leave it alone altogether. Leaving your bike unattended and unlocked was asking for one of the firstt wo to get involved....the lock would have let folks know it was meant to be left there.....

 

A few weeks back , I was caching and came across a used backpack ....All the zippers were opened and all that remained wasa hairbrush....

 

It was obvious to me that it had been stolen from someone and left there after being looted. I am using the backpack on my hikes now with good concience.

 

I *am* sorry that the original owner lost his/her backpack...but ya know what??? It is likely that they would never find it again anyways.....

 

Another time, we were stopped at a gas station vending machine before caching,....stuck money in for one bottle of soda....4 came out....AND the machine returned my money. I pocketed the change and the sodas.....why?? Because I have been screwed DOZENS of times over the years by vending machines....You could look at it two ways -- 1) I stole pop/money that wasn't mine or 2)karma had come around and returned part of my previous losses to me.... ^_^ I prefer the latter.

 

As far as the money goes, it was obviously HIDDEN by someone......that makes it a little foggier.....don;t know what I would do....if it ever happens (and I pray it does) I'll cross that bridge when it comes... :P I lean towards the idea of leaving a note to go to the police....tell the police you have found "something" and tell them where and how to contact you...if someone happens to get a hold of them and then they to you, and describe the money and location, then return it via the police...if not, keep it. Now, the police MIGHT have a different idea and push you to turn in the item in question.....no idea what to do then...you might be opening up a can of worms.....as others have stated.

 

Ah, money...it makes life SOOOOO complicated.

Edited by shadango
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Having probably the highest ethical standards of anyone who has ever posted on the internet I can say without fear of being contradicted: Keep the money.

 

LOL: Finders Keepers vs. Losers Weepers

LOL: Take the money to Mordor.

 

If you do put the money back then please post the coords so we can all *watch* it for you.

 

/I think the owner is in the big house.

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I have to agree with those who believe you should return it. This is not like finding ten or twenty dollars laying in the street where the chances of getting the cash back to the owner are virtually non-existent. This was placed there by someone (recently, judging from the design of the bills) who will be back to retrieve it.

Just my .02 cents.

 

Edit:

I just noticed that this is an OLD thread that was bumped. What did you decide to do with the money?

Edited by Trinity's Crew
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I was somewhat shocked that someone dug this topic out of the archives ... anyways, a quick update is now in order.

 

After considerable mental anquish on what to do with the loot, I decided to donate the money.

 

Just about every penny went to the 'Clearpath Alcohol Research Study'. This research is firmly committed to reporting the effects of watching sports on TV while at the same time consuming moderate quantities of Miller Lite. This research is still ongoing and I really do not see any end in sight ... :lol:

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Golly! Where do you folks live that you've managed to avoid the great Can We Kick Homeless People Out of Libraries debate? It's become a real problem in some places and, if I'm not mistaken, the court cases have mostly been decided in favor of the homeless. I'm a bit of a library buff, or was before the Web, but I eventually stopped going to the library in Pawtucket (yes, where all the best limericks come from) on account of the eye-watering stench of patrons snoozing in the reading room. I even followed one homeless guy's blog for a while, until I realized he was probably homeless because he was so freaking irritating.

 

As for the money. Hm. If it really and truly looked like the container hadn't been touched in a long time, I'd probably keep it. And probably feel a little queasy about it. I have a whole list of things like that I feel a little queasy about, usually at two in the morning when I can't sleep.

 

I once found some cash while caching in a particularly trashy and unpleasant part of an urban park. It was a wad of damp bills lying on the ground. Do you know, that park was so stank I hesitated before I picked them up. Turns out, they were nine wet one-dollar bills. Huh. No moral dilemma there. The cache was a DNF, too.

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I was somewhat shocked that someone dug this topic out of the archives ... anyways, a quick update is now in order.

 

After considerable mental anquish on what to do with the loot, I decided to donate the money.

 

Just about every penny went to the 'Clearpath Alcohol Research Study'. This research is firmly committed to reporting the effects of watching sports on TV while at the same time consuming moderate quantities of Miller Lite. This research is still ongoing and I really do not see any end in sight ... :lol:

Man, keep up the good work. I get a little misty eyed just thinking about it.

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After considerable mental anquish on what to do with the loot, I decided to donate the money.

 

Just about every penny went to the 'Clearpath Alcohol Research Study'. This research is firmly committed to reporting the effects of watching sports on TV while at the same time consuming moderate quantities of Miller Lite.

:huh::huh::huh:

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I was somewhat shocked that someone dug this topic out of the archives ... anyways, a quick update is now in order.

 

After considerable mental anquish on what to do with the loot, I decided to donate the money.

 

Just about every penny went to the 'Clearpath Alcohol Research Study'. This research is firmly committed to reporting the effects of watching sports on TV while at the same time consuming moderate quantities of Miller Lite. This research is still ongoing and I really do not see any end in sight ... :huh:

Considering you're a K.C. Royals fan, you probably need the alcohol. Glad to hear it went to a good cause. LOL!

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I was somewhat shocked that someone dug this topic out of the archives ... anyways, a quick update is now in order.

I guess that someone was me. Since I rarely look a the post dates I'm not suprised. But I guess it turned out okay since we got to find out where the money went. I bet you are having to use your own money by now for the research, too bad. :huh:

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so is there any reason NOT to stick a log sheet in this and submit it as a new cache?????

sorry if this was in the previous pages, but i didn't see it through the first one..

obviously it's in a good spot!!!!

you could probably even afford a nice little FTF prize..

:P

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Our recommendation is to donate it to a charity. A local charity that helps the homeless, or a local food bank would be a great idea. That might assuage any guilt you might have over the possibility of robbing the homeless, the money then does some good, and you benefit from the good karma and the tax-deductible donation. This is about as close as you will get to a win-all-around solution. A non-local charity that does very good wrok that you might alos consider is Heiffer International.

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Absolutely unbelievable.

 

Heartbreaking, in fact, and very scary for its implications for the future of our nation.

 

Apparantly, theft is now okay if it's to your benefit.

 

Of the three pages of posters so far, I wonder how many would still say "Keep the money" if it was theirs?

 

Does every item in the world have to be locked and labeled to belong to someone?

 

Honesty. Morals. Values. Ethics. Society. They MUST have meaning.

 

You may not know whose it is but you dang sure know it isn't yours!

 

It isn't yours. Put it back, even if you've already spent it.

 

If nothing else, remember that what goes around comes around!

Ed

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Heartbreaking, in fact, and very scary for its implications for the future of our nation.

Oh, people is people. I'd be absolutely astonished if an American from the era of our Founders would have a different attitude if he stumbled across an old bag of shillings tucked in in a wall. I'm guessing you'd get exactly the same range of opinions.

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That may well be true, but does that make it right?

Who knows? If it was old and manky (which apparently it was), the owner was likely long gone. Who are you stealing from then?<p>

 

I'd probably have left it in the wall, but only because I'm constitutionally paranoid. Not because I've sorted out the rights and wrongs of it.

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I'm sorry, but the homeless scenario is the least believable. As a former member of that community myself, I can assure you that the idea that homeless people are just ordinary people down on their luck is a myth. A homeless person would not hide that much money because they would immediately spend it on drugs or booze. I am not trying to be insensitive to the homeless, I am just telling the truth. Most likely it was a drug money stash by a street dealer who later got arrested. I would keep the money and not lose any sleep over it.

Edited by Blind Avocado
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It's time Jeremy admit the truth. It was a failed attempt at a new "ponzi" cache.

 

As you found one of these caches you were supposed to set up two new $138 caches, and send $138 to the original cache owner. When money started flowing in, you would send half upstream to the sponsor cachers.

 

It didn't work very well because some doofus took the original $138 and spent it on booze, so Jeremy canned the whole idea.

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Well I guess the "Ponzi Cache" still isn't as bad as the "Namibian Cache". You open the cache up and find the standard muggle-letter, a logbook, and a sheet that says to leave your bank account info in the log so they can deposit (absurd amount of money) into it to sneak it out of their country...

 

Though when we start finding ads for Viagra and phallic enlargement in caches, I think it'll be time to get out of the game!

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Recently, while on a canoe trip, a friend of mine, found a new canoe with no oars, no tie off ropes and nothing in the canoe, in an area that had been recently flooded. He placed a note in the area explaining he was taking the note to a canoe renter down stream, and the owner could pick it up there. When he arrived at the renter's business, he asked if anyone had inquired about a canoe and when told no, he told the renter that he would call back in a week and check again. He then left a note explaining that if anyone could identify the canoe with a description, and the serial number, my friend would give the canoe back to the owner. That was 3 weeks ago, my friend has called back every weekend, and to date there has been no one claiming the canoe. He has made ever effort to find the owner without giving up his info. He intends to keep the canoe until someone claims it. If the money is bothering you that much, I suggest you put it in an intrest bearing account, make inquiries at local business' and call back on a regular time period to see if anyone has claimed the money. At the time you feel comfortable with keeping the money, then spend it, or donate it to a charity of your choice, but spend the intrest on yourself for new geocaching equipment.

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Recently, while on a canoe trip, a friend of mine, found a new canoe with no oars, no tie off ropes and nothing in the canoe, in an area that had been recently flooded. He placed a note in the area explaining he was taking the note to a canoe renter down stream, and the owner could pick it up there. When he arrived at the renter's business, he asked if anyone had inquired about a canoe and when told no, he told the renter that he would call back in a week and check again. He then left a note explaining that if anyone could identify the canoe with a description, and the serial number, my friend would give the canoe back to the owner. That was 3 weeks ago, my friend has called back every weekend, and to date there has been no one claiming the canoe.

Any drownings in the area lately? :D

 

If it's flooded, it probably washed out of someones car, trailer, yard, garage, dock, or something, no?

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hey that was mine!!! :D

 

no seriously

How about a homeless person's cash/savings???

 

I've seen makeshift abodes of the homeless in nature preserves multiple times over the years.

 

Were I homeless, where would I keep my excess cash? I wouldn't want it all on me since that's too risky.

 

I can't put it in the bank, 'cause I don't have an address. I could pay for a safe deposit box or something, but that costs a lot. If I trust a friend to keep it secure, I can't access it without them.

 

I'd probably leave a small amount (in case they return and need some) with a contact note. If drug-related, they won't bother to spend the time to contact you. If more critical (homeless/destitute), they can recover it. If obsolete, no matter.

 

The fact that it's all dirty/wet doesn't mean much--look at geocaches! Frequent visitation/tending and they still end up dirty/wet.

i concur

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Someone could have been skimmin' money from their pimp...

That lady would not be happy that you took the money, but on the other hand, if you somehow returned it, I'm sure her pimp would be just as upset if he found out she was skimmin', so for her sake keep the money, so her pimp never finds out.

The pimp hand falls hard in Detroit, I know I wouldn't want to cause trouble here, you probably don't want to cause any more trouble in your neck of the woods either. Keep the money.

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I didn't read all the replies, so if this is redundant I apologize.

 

How about just putting it back where you found it? Wait 'til there's little chance of someone seeing you (dusk or dawn, etc) and put it back. Wait a few weeks and check it again.

 

If it's really important to someone, either they will have taken it, or (if it's a "homeless bank account") the amount of money may have increased or decreased. If there's more/less money, I'd leave a note saying that you found this so others might too and suggest they find a different hiding spot.

 

If there's no discernable change, I'd figure it's a nice windfall and keep it. Easier than taking it to the cops and less chance of anyone but the real owner claiming it.

 

Perhaps go all James Bond and, like, trap a hair on the rim of the bottle so that if someone opens it the hair would fall off and you could tell at a glance if someone's been to it when you return to check/re-count it.

 

Kinda long-winded, but this seems to cover the "morality" group and the "finders-keepers" group. Personally, I'd probably keep it, but my idea is byzantine enough that I might do it myself if I were in your shoes.

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