Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Unless there would be some definitive means of associating the item with any particular individual who claimed to be the owner (such as requiring a receipt or a detailed description of the item from any purported owner), or even with a store from which the item might have been purchased (such as an establishment in the mall referenced in the question), as well as of assuring that the owner was even aware of the item's loss, I would say that trying to locate the true owner (despite being well-intentioned) would be subject to hindrances or even possible deception that would make the effort unlikely to genuinely succeed.

Under those circumstances, I would say that keeping the found item would not be considered theft. However, if there were still doubt on the part of the individual, she might consider consulting with local police (for example), and inquiring of them about whether there would be a prescribed local procedure to be followed, as well as a length of time that would be required to elapse, before the found item could be considered legally hers if left unclaimed.

June 30 2019 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

This is a good question that I do not have an answer. We stopped in a convenience store on our way through New Mexico a few years ago, and we were the only ones in there. I looked down and saw a 100 dollar bill lying on the floor.

It was not mine, but I figured if no one claimed it, it belonged to the store. So I gave it to the girl at check out, and told her that I found it on the floor. If no one claims it, then it is up to you to do with it what you think is best and even to keeping it for yourself. 

I have no idea what she did with it if no one claimed it. She could have given it to the owner/manager of the store, or not. 

Knowing what to do is sometimes not clear. All I knew is it was not mine. And there was no one else there but two girls at check out. Both of them heard all I said.

July 05 2019 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Smith Supporter

I once went to a Salvation Army second hand store in Perth (Australia) and bought an as-new pair of shorts for $5. At home though I discovered $5 in one of the side pockets (probably left there by the first owner). 

I felt that it is not good to have bought a pair of shorts for nothing, so I went back to the store, explaining the story and handed the $5 back to the checkout lady. She was extremely pleased with this and her face just beamed with thanks.

As for the pair of shorts - well I wore them very very often. They became my favorite item of clothing. After about four years I threw them out as they became too worn. I loved these pair of shorts.

As of now my heart sings for joy when I remember this little event - especially the look of gratitude on the lady's face when I returned the $5. 

Maybe God blessed the pair of shorts as as result. He loves doing things like this.

May 04 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

"My mother found a necklace that she did not buy.." 

I think the fact provided that she found it told us that she didn't buy it. It was found in the road and near a mall. None of that suggests anything pertinent to finding the original owner. I think we're being asked this in an attempt to get the Christian perspective on it. Are we to feel guilty if we don't jump through the right hoops to find the owner? Maybe someone thinks we should. 

If you ask the Christian Community (Church) our opinions on topics like this, you will get a bevy of answers and responses. Many will go straight to Romans 13 and declare that we should find out what the local law is of the matter and follow it. Those are law following Christians. They pass the buck. (They wash their hands of stuff the way Pontius Pilate did - Matt 27:24). (If the law states that a person who looks like an illegal immigrant should be turned in, then the Christian thing to do is just follow the law and turn them in, regardless of how cruel and inhumane the 'department of un-American activities' is operating! That's the opinion of a Christian who is "walking in the law.")

I can't recall a Bible narrative that depicts the tenor of this question. I think we're being asked to give a Christian opinion on how to handle finding things. What should a Christian do? Is it ever the Christian thing to just be glad to find something of value and keep it? I don't know a story in Scripture of someone finding something that someone else lost. The story of the lost coin in Luke 15 was found by the lady who owned it. The other two parables in the same chapter tell of how the lost sheep and son were returned to the rightful owner with no help from an outside source. 

But there is another story of something of value being found and we aren't told who lost it. Jesus to Peter:

"Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will FIND a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you" (Matthew 17:27).

Who lost that money? It probably had Caesar's image inscription on it. They were told to give Caesar the things that were his. - Matthew 22:21.. Caesar hadn't lost that coin. It could have been a fisherman. Could it have been Peter who had lost it while out fishing? Did Jesus and Peter pay their tax bill with someone else's lost money? No! They paid with money that God had provided in His own way of providing. 

If we find something of value and there's no reasonable way to locate the person who lost it, we actually know the sovereign owner. He is the one who allowed us to find the lost item. All we should then do is ask Him to help us to decide what to do with it.

17 hours ago • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report