Here's a feud for you...

troy_8

It is very sad that this is even a question. You get a lawyer involved and you find out up may really be down. When they remove common sense from our courts we all lose. We all know in our guts that any property in someone elses home is theirs, period. Anyone who questions that I don't want anywhere near me.

Unknown

Contractor, owner feud over hidden cash

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071213/ap_on_fe_st/odd_house_hidden_money

Contractor, owner feud over hidden cash Wed Dec 12, 10:42 PM ET


CLEVELAND - A contractor who helped discover bundles of Depression-era U.S. currency totaling $182,000 hidden behind bathroom walls said the homeowner should turn the money over to him or at least share it.


Bob Kitts said his feud with the owner of the 83-year house, a former high school classmate, has deteriorated to the point where they speak to each other only through lawyers.


Kitts said his lawyer has drafted a lawsuit that he hopes will force Amanda Reece to turn over the money she has kept.


Most of the currency, issued in 1927 and 1929, is in good condition, and some of the bills are so rare that one currency appraiser valued the treasure at up to $500,000, Kitts said.


Reece accuses Kitts of extortion.


The fight began in May 2006 when Kitts was gutting Reece's bathroom and found a box below the medicine cabinet that contained $25,200.


"I almost passed out," Kitts recalled. "It was the ultimate contractor fantasy."


He called Reece, who rushed home. Together they found another steel box tied to the end of a wire nailed to a stud. Inside was more than $100,000, Kitts said. Two more boxes were filled with a mix of money and religious memorabilia.


"It was insane," Kitts said. "She was in shock — she was a wreck."

The bundles had "P. Dunne" written on them, a likely reference to Peter Dunne, a businessman who owned the home during the Depression.


Kitts said he took some of the currency for an appraisal and learned that many of the $10 bills were rare 1929-series Cleveland Federal Reserve bank notes, worth about $85 each. There also were $500 bills and one $1,000 bill.


John Chambers, an attorney for Reece, said Kitts rejected his client's offer of a 10 percent finder's fee and demanded 40 percent of the small fortune.


Reece has no intention of backing down in the face of what she considers a shakedown, Chambers said.


Kitts asserts he found lost money, and court rulings in Ohio establish that a "finders keepers" law applies if there's no reason to believe any owner will reappear to claim it.


It may be up to a judge to decide, said Heidi Robertson, a professor who teaches property law at Cleveland State University.


Kitts said it would be unfair for him to take everything.


"For such a happy, exciting adventure, I can't believe it just went to heck like this," he said.

___

Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com

lchmb

just wrong

Take the 10% which is more than fair and be gone. Greedy is the only thing that come's to mind.

Big Ed_4

Judge

Take the 10% and bill $80K in extras on the bathroom renovations......

Rich L.

Outragous!

"Kitts asserts he found lost money, and court rulings in Ohio establish that a "finders keepers" law applies if there's no reason to believe any owner will reappear to claim it."

Granted she didn't know it was there but it was in her house, which I assume she owns, why the heck wouldn't that be hers? And now because she hired him to do the work he's entitled to half (or more) of whatever he finds hidden in the walls? I'd like to see where it states that in the contract!

Following that line of thought, if I do a scorched air furnace replacement for a friend and I find a lost diamond bracelet in the ductwork that he doesn't even know is there, I'm entitled to it? When did it become mine and not his? Sorry but I can't shave in the morning without a mirror and as long as I have to look at my face in it I couldn't do that... Some friend.

As far as "finders keepers" goes, I don't think that should apply on private property.

Scott Kneeland

$$$$$$$

I must side with the homeowner, Just because you are in someones house and find something it stills belongs to the current owner. Had a similar situation about 15 years ago when replacing a boiler for a son of the late homeowner who just died. The son needed to replace the boiler to sell his mom's house when we cut the old expansion tank down a cigar box hit the floor in it was $1700. Nobody was living in the house at the end of the day the son showed up and we told him about it. He handed me $900 in 20's and said thanks for the honesty. If he could of kept it all or I could have. I can sleep.

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Rich Kontny_5

More Players!

This contractor by turning down the 10% is being not only greedy but foolish. The attorneys will want plenty of this treasure with no guarantee of winning.

He should take the 10% and stop bringing in more money grabbing hands!

Funny what $$$$$ does to people or what they will do to to get it!

burnerman_2

is it not funny how

think of this had the box of money not been found no one would have gotten any money the folks in the area will think the contractor is a crook if he wants more the homeowner looks selfesh so no one wins here money or the love of it is still the root of all evil let it be said royboy

Unknown

yes,

I would have graciously accepted the 10% and gone on my way. It's in her house therefore it is her property.

If you REALLY want to see what money does to people you can look at my extended family. Dad passed away owing just about as much out as he had in the bank. 2 out of 3 step brothers believe he died with THEIR family's non existant fortune secreted away somewhere, their mother having predeceased my father.

Last told I hear they think it was in the neighborhood of $450,000 that he "and his shyster brother" (my uncle) were able to hide away from Uncle Sam and the probate courts. I showed them the probate papers, they ARE public record. Never mind their mother was bedridden 2 years with no income before she died. All to no avail.

Dad died in '98, the "family feud" still goes on as they haven't talked TO me since but still talk ABOUT me all the time from what I hear. Last thing I would have expected out of them too because we were always pretty close. Quite the shock when the phone call came and the accusations started flying straight out of the blue, I can tell you THAT much. My response at the time? "You are out of your %$&#*@ MIND!". Still holds...

Rich L.

Amen MPF,

And the number 1 cause of divorce, which by the way is still at all time highs..... MONEY. So many people think if I just had a little more, or a lot more, then I'd be happy.

Very selfish contractor, good luck getting work after this publicity, I wouldn't want the guy in my house if he treats his "friends" that way.

Tony_23

Really

I wouldn't want him anywhere near my property, or my truck.

Finders keepers ? If a C-note is blowing down the road that's one thing, if it's in my house that's another.

This guy might "find" something about anywhere and expect a cut.

Run him out of town, I say.

Steverino

The lawyers...

will be the ones to collect the cash. Contractor should have taken the 10% & ran. The homeowner owns the house & it's contents, BUT...the previous owners heirs, after they find out about the cash, will claim ownership.
As others have stated, $'s make people go crazy1

CE

the previous owner

passed, and had no children, or family. I read about this somewhere else....

Mad Dog_2

I'm with you Rich

The dirtbag has no honor. Mad Dog

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hvacfreak

I remember

an old man that I worked with doing residential boiler change-out's used to tell me to watch for " gold coins " under the old boilers we'd remove , lol. I guess I would feel justified in keeping something like that if I found it under some 2 ton heavy thing that we had to move.

I did work on a funeral home once where the plumber ( same company that I worked for )found a box of old coins in the attic. He turned it into the owners and they gave him 50 bucks. I thought about it...and had I found it I figured I might not have said a word ( just being truthfull ).

So I guess it works like this...when that " contractor " broke the wall open and found the money , it belonged to him. When he told the homeowner ( or the owner saw it ) ...it did not. Why would he figure otherwise ?

Rich L.

No Way

"So I guess it works like this...when that " contractor " broke the wall open and found the money , it belonged to him."

I have to disagree with you on that one hvacfreak, Just because I break a wall open (not my wall BTW) whatever I find inside is mine? If you have kids do you teach them if they find a lost toy at thier friends house it belongs to them now. Hey the neighbor kid may not have even known he lost it until your kid found it. Be kinda hard to keep friends that way. Heck if my kids find a lost toy in the park we look for the rightful owners before ever thinking of keeping it. I'd want somebody else to do the same for me.

I'm not trying to sound rightous, but I have some strong opinions on honesty and if others I deal with don't, we won't be doing anymore dealings.

Rich L

hvacfreak

something told me...

to stay away from this one , but ...noooo , I had to post on this , lol.

Ok , the person who put the box in the wall probably has no need for it now. To the degree were at in the conversation Rich , someone needs to find the previous owner of the house ( or closest living relative ) and return the money ( it was not intended to be part of the " property " when the house was sold ). And I know the real estate contracts cover all of this , but were talking about " doing the right thing ".

And I have to remember to tell my kids that if they throw money into a wall , and 75 years from now someone comes across it , they might not get it back. -M