I know this topic has been discussed, but after some basic searching, I am finding everything BUT the type of thing I am looking for....
We were discussing the recent case of the money sewn into the suitcase that was donated to a charity shop by the spouse of the person who hid it ($100,000 I believe). Luckily the person who bought the suitcase paid by eftpos and was traced. Apparently the money had been found by the new owner of the suitcase and deposited into two different accounts (some spent, but mostly in the accounts).
Person was charged with "stealing by possession" or something like that.
We were discussing this today and got into quite a heated debate.
My son says "a solicitor" told him that if someone buys a house and there happens to be money buried in the yard, that the new owner has bought "everything" and is entitled to the money. I don't believe this is right at all.
I know someone who knows someone who found some rare coins in a wall cavity and I believe the previous owner was entitled to at least some (if not all) of them. I cannot remember what happened, but I do know it was not clear cut, and the new owner of the house didn't have a right to the coins (from memory).
I'm curious to know just what the law says about this.
My son also said his "lawyer" friend told him that if you find (for example) $10,000 on the street, and spend say $9000 on a diamond ring, then you are entitled to keep that ring. He says that anything spent on, say, groceries must be given back as it was something you would buy regardless of finding the money. (This sounds like rubbish to me, but I'm not sure.)
I think he was still dreaming, or making this stuff up, but I am curious to know if anybody knows what happens if you dig up a stash of cash in the back yard, and what happens if you find money in the street and spend it on non-essential items.
I think my son was making it up as he went along .
We were discussing the recent case of the money sewn into the suitcase that was donated to a charity shop by the spouse of the person who hid it ($100,000 I believe). Luckily the person who bought the suitcase paid by eftpos and was traced. Apparently the money had been found by the new owner of the suitcase and deposited into two different accounts (some spent, but mostly in the accounts).
Person was charged with "stealing by possession" or something like that.
We were discussing this today and got into quite a heated debate.
My son says "a solicitor" told him that if someone buys a house and there happens to be money buried in the yard, that the new owner has bought "everything" and is entitled to the money. I don't believe this is right at all.
I know someone who knows someone who found some rare coins in a wall cavity and I believe the previous owner was entitled to at least some (if not all) of them. I cannot remember what happened, but I do know it was not clear cut, and the new owner of the house didn't have a right to the coins (from memory).
I'm curious to know just what the law says about this.
My son also said his "lawyer" friend told him that if you find (for example) $10,000 on the street, and spend say $9000 on a diamond ring, then you are entitled to keep that ring. He says that anything spent on, say, groceries must be given back as it was something you would buy regardless of finding the money. (This sounds like rubbish to me, but I'm not sure.)
I think he was still dreaming, or making this stuff up, but I am curious to know if anybody knows what happens if you dig up a stash of cash in the back yard, and what happens if you find money in the street and spend it on non-essential items.
I think my son was making it up as he went along .