I had to laugh when the officer started talking.

[SeaninNH]

It as about 11:30 pm and I was at a tot lot the other night when a cop came by and called me over.

He said the the park had a 9pm curfew and I couldn't stay.

He then asked me what I did with the stuff I found. My reply.. "I put it in my pocket".

He then said "That is theft of property". You are supposed to turn any valuables you find into the police department.

I laughed at him and he got beat red. I said.. It's not theft it's called FOUND.

He said "If you find someones property and don't turn it in that is theft. It's not finders keepers like when you were young".

I said... "Actually it is. If I find something, it's found, not stolen so I'm keeping it".

He says "If you find a ring and pawn it and they find it in the pawn store they can press charges and you will get in trouble for theft of property".

I laughed again and said" That's not a problem. Everything that I find goes to get melted down not pawned".

He didn't have a reply to that and let me leave.

I don't care who says what... If I find it I keep it. PERIOD!

If It's possible to return something I'm sure that I would return it, but for the most part, we all know that our finds are not identifyable.

 

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[TheRandyMan]

11:30 pm at a tot lot...You...are my hero!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The officer was right.

Sean, the officer was right, pending a few facts: Every state DOES have "lost & found" laws. Because think of it Shawn, otherwise under your logic, if the back of an armored car swung open on the freeway, and a wads of bills fell out, you could scoop them up and say "finders keepers", right? Thus, every single state has lost & found laws that stipulate that items over a certain value (for example, over $100 value, etc...) must be turned in to the police. After 30 days, if no one claims it, then you can go get it. Here is an example of CA's law, but all other states have something similar (perhaps varying a little on the dollar values, etc...)

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,263589.0.html

Most md'rs are under the mistaken assumption, like yours, that it is finder keepers, because perhaps they think that ...... heck, these items could've been lost a year ago, thus the person who lost it has long since given up. But when you read the law closely, it makes no distinction on when YOU think the item was lost. For example: how would you like it if your wife lost her wedding ring while at the toddler park with your toddler. She comes home to tell you, and you think "aha, no problem. Afterall, I have a metal detector. This will be a piece of cake!" You drive across town to the park with your detector. After searching in vain for a 1/2 hr. at the EXACT spot your wife says it flew off her finger, a curious observer walks over to you, and says "you know it's funny, but right before you arrived, there was another guy with a detector who just happened to be detecting here today. And at this exact same spot I've seen you spend so long at, he jumped up from a target, let out a big YAHOO, and then left". Now Sean, you would probably conclude that some other fellow found your wife's wedding ring, in the short span of time it took you to get down there, right? So you tell me: does the ring belong to the other fellow, or to your wife still? Thus you can see there is legitimate reasons for these laws.

This opens up a BIG can of worms that is best left closed. Because a simple look at any beach metal detecting forum, and you can see plenty of md'rs finding gold jewelry, right? And do you think they're running down to the police station each time? Thus, this is probably not a good idea to go challenging cops, and giving them any ideas that you do anything other than COMPLY with all laws. Just tell him yes, when the item goes beyond the state's given value threshold, and other such lip-service. But by all means, don't go p*ss off a cop. It's not good for the hobby, and especially so, when he's technically right.

 

[SeaninNH]

I completely understand what he was saying. I didn't make waves really. I did tell him if I found something that was possible to return like a class ring or something that could be IDd I'd gladly return it, but I mostly find pocket change.

I also told him that I have never found anything worth much value (a big fat lie).

I was nice to him, but also firm that I was not breaking the law and if I ever found something worth any value I would attempt to find the owner.

He also said that if I find something worth value on city property it belonged to the city and they would get it.

THAT is what started me laughing... I was thinking of THIS story the entire time he said "turn it in".

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-decides-to-keep-cash-found-by-honest-teen-121609364.html

If I find something the city gets to profit from it? Screw that!

Don't get me wrong... I'm not a jerk. I would gladly return someone's valuables if possible, but I'm also a detectorist... We profit from found goodies.

 

[TheRandyMan]

Hmm...

That Dallas teenager received a lot more money from her honesty than the $2,000 she initially found...over $7k in donations I heard yesterday.

Course...national publicity didn't hurt her cause at all

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Sean, you say:

"I did tell him if I found something that was possible to return "

and:

"if I ever found something worth any value I would attempt to find the owner."

Again, this is not complying with the law. Read the law again, it does not put the judgement call in YOUR hands if YOU think it's possible to find an owner (ie.: class rings, etc...). It simply reads anything over a given dollar value (like, $100 for instance).

And again, it's not up to the finder to seek out the owner, it's to be turned in to the police dept, for THEM to put through their channels of procedure. Therefore, yep, we're all lawbreakers. And all those people on craigslist who run ads of "found mountain bike" and "found Ipod", or "found ring on the street" etc.... are also all guilty. Sure, not many people follow this law, but technically, we're all in violation.

One time I found a pair or prescription eye-glasses (which aren't cheap, you know, from an optomotrist) on the beach while detecting. As I got ready to pitch them in the garbage can on my way out, I figured "what the heck, they're of no value to me, I might as well run a found ad on craigslist (d/t they looked freshly lost), and maybe some grateful owner will give a finders tip." So I ran the ad, which said something to effect of "found with metal detector on such & such beach, please email to describe", etc.... The next day, in my email inbox, was a ..... uh .... interesting email from the police in that city! A lady cop asked me if my glasses that I'd found matched a certain description. Turns out, they'd had a tourist come in to report a pair of lost glasses, on that very beach, that very day. Well, the ones I had did not match what she had reported lost to her, so I let her know "sorry, not a match". What happened next is where it got sticky though: She emailed back and said something to the effect that "in the future, we would appreciate it if you would turn in all such items to the police station. We have an after-hours mail slot you can put items in too. Our department receives various 'lost' reports, and therefore, in order that you be in compliance with the law, you must turn in any such items here." etc....

That is what caused me to look into this matter, from a legal standpoint, and was when I realized what she was talking about. It's an awkward thing isn't it? And what's humorous, is you have legions of md'rs who dutifully say they're following the md'rs "code of ethics" which ..... has as one of its tennets: "I will abide by all laws". Yet you tell me: how many of them are following that one?

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I'm sure glad no one locked me up as a kid, in our public parks, slinging baseball bats into the pecan trees, to earn money to go to the fair!

 

[SeaninNH]

None lol.

Read the "Today's finds" section and see how many people turn in the rings or gold they find.

The only things I see returned is class rings for the most part.

I've NEVER... not ONCE read of someone turning in a gold ring to the police.

We all know that ring would end up "lost".

 

[bigtim1973]

It as about 11:30 pm and I was at a tot lot the other night when a cop came by and called me over.

He said the the park had a 9pm curfew and I couldn't stay.

He then asked me what I did with the stuff I found. My reply.. "I put it in my pocket".

He then said "That is theft of property". You are supposed to turn any valuables you find into the police department.

I laughed at him and he got beat red. I said.. It's not theft it's called FOUND.

He said "If you find someones property and don't turn it in that is theft. It's not finders keepers like when you were young".

I said... "Actually it is. If I find something, it's found, not stolen so I'm keeping it".

He says "If you find a ring and pawn it and they find it in the pawn store they can press charges and you will get in trouble for theft of property".

I laughed again and said" That's not a problem. Everything that I find goes to get melted down not pawned".

He didn't have a reply to that and let me leave.

I don't care who says what... If I find it I keep it. PERIOD!

If It's possible to return something I'm sure that I would return it, but for the most part, we all know that our finds are not identifyable.

I wonder what that officer does when he finds a 5 dollar bill in the parking lot going to the grocery store? You think he is going to turn it in? I do not think so. And what do the police department do when people turn in valuable items that go unclaimed? I bet they cash them into the funds for the city or department. That is what they want you to do but get the finders or detectorist to do all of the leg work.

 

[Sandman]

Tom is 100% right on these "Lost & Found Laws." I think all states have a law such as this or a "Stray Beasts Law." Example of this is say you find a stray cow in your pasture. Is it yours, heck no, it belongs to the farmer down the road even if its been lost for years.

But when we find something of value, we are by law, obliged to turn it in to authorities and they don't have to give us a receipt so we can get it back if nobody claims it. So, should we brag about the nice item we found? BTW, lots of diamond rings have an ID number on the diamond that has the owners name on record. Natch the detector manufacturers don't want us to keep numb about the expensive rings and such we find. Their ads don't show junk and trash in the pictures.

Me, I don't find, s**t.

 

[Keppy]

None lol.

Read the "Today's finds" section and see how many people turn in the rings or gold they find.

The only things I see returned is class rings for the most part.

I've NEVER... not ONCE read of someone turning in a gold ring to the police.

We all know that ring would end up "lost".

That's true once the police get it it will disappear most of the time............ Don't you just love those honest men in blue........... I'm sorry but anything i find will be mine......... You guys can tell me all day what the law say's in some parts of the country that don't mean a thing to me.................... You know the law is not always for the good of the people just good for crooked politician's .......................... No matter what any one says ........... The law to me is .................."Finders Keepers"....... Like i have said many times you never see me post a word or picture about what i find......And you never will .......The End......... OH yes read my Signature below ......... You know let no one know what when or were.....

 

[SeaninNH]

I'm waiting to see the day that someone posts in the Todays Finds section "Found a GOLD and Diamond ring and turned it in to the police".

How much you want to be we NEVER see one of those posts, EVER.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I guess it's alright to rape, rob, and pillage the earth, as long as your named Haliburton,
BP, Shell, Dow, or Monsanto. And of course can make billions in profit on it, nothing worng with that!

But squash that little man, cause he picked a blackberry offa a wild bush!

 

[Lowbatts]

I'm with Sandman on finds however I do an awesome job of recovering lost and stray pulltabs, canslaw, nails and other metal debris. Keeps me in good standing locally.

As always Tom is right on with his statements Sean. Laws are present everywhere. I'd expect a lot more than a casual conversation if I was in the parks hereabouts after closing.

And yes Pat, oil companies do just go out and "find" oil, so do coal mine companies, diamond companies, and all the rest and they do get away with the "finders keepers" outlook but they have something we don't, lobbyists with checkbooks and investors.

 

[ivan salis]

common sense tells me -- marked clearly IDible items like a class ring can lead to legal issues * kid reports his ring as 'stolen" at the beach --he reports it as stolen so mom and dad do not get pizzed off at him for "losing' it --

next thing you know poor mr detectorist finds it goes "gee my lucky day" and takes it to ye olde pawn shop to sell it * pawn dude buys it --cops come by to check ye olde pawn shops "inventory" and note the "hot" ring --rut ro --mr detectorist is now wanted for "theft" of the ring

now unmarked rings and other "run of the mill" plain unmarked jewelry --where its HIGHLY UNLIKELY ONE COULD EVER FIND THE ACTUAL OWNER -- honestly folks --is anyone going to turn it in? doubtful

marked stuff , easily IDible stuff , wallet with a ID in it sure turn it in -- money just on the ground , no ID so no easy way of finding the owner , unmarked plain jewelry (non custom type common stuff )--- sorry folks -- its MY lucky day.

 

[SeaninNH]

That's how I feel as well.

I found a license on the ground at the park. I did some research and got the guy his license back.

I found a sterling bracelet on the beach. That ended up at as a $50 bill in my pocket.

If I CAN get something that I find back to the rightful owner I will. I'd much rather see a woman happy over getting her property back.

Playground rules apply... period.. if your name is not on it or you can't prove it's yours then it's FINDERS KEEPERS lol

Again I say... Talk to the detectorists on the beach and ask how many rings they found. They ask how many they turn over to the police. I bet ont a SINGLE person says even one.

 

[Keppy]

That's how I feel as well.

I found a license on the ground at the park. I did some research and got the guy his license back.

I found a sterling bracelet on the beach. That ended up at as a $50 bill in my pocket.

If I CAN get something that I find back to the rightful owner I will. I'd much rather see a woman happy over getting her property back.

Playground rules apply... period.. if your name is not on it or you can't prove it's yours then it's FINDERS KEEPERS lol

Again I say... Talk to the detectorists on the beach and ask how many rings they found. They ask how many they turn over to the police. I bet ont a SINGLE person says even one.

Yep your right there if there is no name on what i find........ The name of the game is "FINDERS KEEPERS " But you know our goverment .... You can't tell them....Or they will try to get there crooked little hands on it.............

 

[jeff of pa]

This is why You Need to Dig Plenty of Trash.

You could have Asked for something to Put your Finds in
& Tell him He can take it Along.

When he Holds out his Hand,
Fill it with Tabs, Sharp Metal, glass, dirt Covered Foil
Hopefully a syringe , Rotted Memorials For
Ruffage Etc.

Guaranteed You'd be the last one he approaches

 

[Keppy]

This is why You Need to Dig Plenty of Trash.

You could have Asked for something to Put your Finds in
& Tell him He can take it Along.

When he Holds out his Hand,
Fill it with Tabs, Sharp Metal, glass, dirt Covered Foil
Hopefully a syringe , Rotted Memorials For
Ruffage Etc.

Guaranteed You'd be the last one he approaches

 

[Jerry-Wi]

I have made several attempts to find the owners of items such as awards and metals and they have all left a bad taste in my mouth to the point where I just don't bother any more. I thought that achievement awards would hold some sentimental value to the person who lost it. However I have been met with total indifference from people I have contacted in my search for the owner. So have given up. It amazes me that a police officer would even make an issue out of something like this.

Just my two cents worth.

Jerry