Exploring the Legalities of Finding Money: Is ‘Finders Keepers’ a Myth?

If you find $10,000 on the ground,
can you keep it? There’s like 10K in here.
I’m gonna copy some new jewelry.
Oh yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
You can’t just buy new jewelry.
First you gotta find the owner of the briefcase.
Well, nobody here.
Guess this cash is all mine.
You need to do more than just looking around a little bit.
Most states require you to contact local law enforcement
to allow the true owner some time to claim the money.
bet I’ll contact my local police station right now to let them know.
Psych. This is my money.
I’m gonna go spend it. I’m gonna go buy a Gucci tracksuit,
a cyber truck and every crypto coin.
If you spend money you found without looking for the owner,
you could be charged with theft.
Come on, what about the saying finders keepers?
I found it, I keep it.
Well, there is a treasure trove exception in 12 states.
If the money is buried in the ground and the owner is unknown,
you may have a right to keep it.
Treasure trove? Like buried treasure?
Well, I did find it at the beach.
Wait, is that a pirate symbol?
ARG! I’m burying this treasure.
And what will one day be New York? ARG!
Yeah, you can keep it.