View Full Version : Homeowner Finds $100K, Fights For Cash
Sean of the Thread
10-04-2007, 08:46 AM
Man, Wife Of Previous Homeowner Want Cash
SANFORD, Fla. -- What would you do if you found $100,000 in the attic of your house?
Bernard Salcedo, 26, of Sanford, reported the finding to police, who are now holding the money, and he is trying to get it back.
Salcedo was looking for a bad wire in his attic after the power went out when he found $100,000 in cash, starting a messy legal fight over who should get the cash.
The money was hidden in a cavity cut in the insulation in four plastic bags filled with $20 and $100 bills stuffed into a strongbox. The 26-year-old computer engineer said he then recalled that someone was killed in the home four years earlier, so he called police.
"We didn't know if the murderer knew about the money," Salcedo said. "We decided the best course of action was to let someone know."
Now, the home's former owner is laying claim to the cash.
Similar bundles of cash were found hidden in the home after Scott Quinn, a 37-year-old bail bondsman and gun dealer, was found stabbed to death in 2003.
Police returned the money to the victim's estranged wife, Lana Quinn, the widow's lawyer Michael Herring said.
The alleged killer, Randolph Mora, 26, overdosed on pills in prison awaiting charges in 2004. Salcedo and his wife bought the home from Quinn in 2006.
Scott Quinn kept large amounts of cash because he frequently attended gun shows and made cash purchases as part of his business, Herring said.
He also said Salcedo had no claim to the money, but that his client would pay an undisclosed finder's fee.
Salcedo's attorney Eric Frommer insisted there was no way to prove the money belonged to Lana Quinn.
Police are keeping the cash in a vault until the two sides hash things out.
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Wtf the man bought the house why shouldn't it be his..
http://www.local6.com/news/14228121/detail.html
Suppa Hobbit Mage
10-04-2007, 08:55 AM
Give it was $20's and $100's he could have never said and word and kept it all. I have no idea if I'd turn it in or not, if I found that kind of cash in my house.
Makes me want to go check my attic.
Sean of the Thread
10-04-2007, 08:57 AM
I would NOT turn it in.
Seran
10-04-2007, 09:10 AM
The idiot should have stayed quiet and enjoyed the windfall.
TheEschaton
10-04-2007, 10:13 AM
Technically, it should be the murdered man's. Lost and misplaced items still are vested in the True Owner, the thing is, most true owners never show up. The widow, as a legal heir, has the right to claim title in it, as if he had lost it. However, if the True Owner never claims it, all property rights invest in the finder until such a time as the TO does show up - thus, had he not turned it in, it would be likely she would have never known, and he could have used the money as he'd seen fit. Even if she found out later, he wouldn't've liable for the money he spent in the meantime.
If the money had been abandoned, that would be a different story. The new house owner would have to argue that the previous owner abandoned the property, which cuts off all title, but the preliminary facts don't seem to support that.
Sean of the Thread
10-04-2007, 10:21 AM
Ahhhh that's it. It wasn't abandoned because the dude was murdered. Makes sense now.
Jayvn
10-04-2007, 10:24 AM
I ALWAYS ALWAYS check attics when I'm renting... mainly because I don't want to find bodies and stuff.. cameras etc... I'm not paranoid.. just like to make sure I know what's going on around me... that's it.. Now I can say I'm checking for money...
Sean of the Thread
10-04-2007, 10:27 AM
I was doing some woodwork on a roof during my roofer summer after highschool and found a coffee can FILLED with rolled up $2 dollar bills.
Meges
10-04-2007, 11:19 AM
I was doing some woodwork on a roof during my roofer summer after highschool and found a coffee can FILLED with rolled up $2 dollar bills.
Found, as in kept?
Meges
Celephais
10-04-2007, 11:28 AM
I don't know what's wrong with people... discovering that much money in small bills, in such a manner it's obviously not hurting anyone to take (not like some kid with cancer dropped it on his way to go pay his medical bills) you don't tell anyone...
If he was worried about the money getting tracked back to him he could have at least gone and blown it all at a strip club.
Clove
10-04-2007, 11:29 AM
Where's Drew. We need someone to bring up allodial rights :D
Clove
10-04-2007, 11:31 AM
I don't know what's wrong with people... discovering that much money in small bills, in such a manner it's obviously not hurting anyone to take (not like some kid with cancer dropped it on his way to go pay his medical bills) you don't tell anyone...
If he was worried about the money getting tracked back to him he could have at least gone and blown it all at a strip club.
I was trying to figure out WTF too. I think he thought the money might be evidence that could aid in finding the murderer. He just thought he'd get it back afterwards. Let this be a lesson, take the cash and run!
Sean of the Thread
10-04-2007, 11:33 AM
Found, as in kept?
Meges
No I didn't keep it. The contractor took it to "give" to the owner. Yeah right. Wonder how many rocks that bought him.
Eh if I knew someone was murdered in the house that I bought and then found a fat stack of cash I'd probably think about reporting it just to find out all the details in case someone were to come back looking for it.
Sean of the Thread
10-04-2007, 12:01 PM
Eh if I knew someone was murdered in the house that I bought and then found a fat stack of cash I'd probably think about reporting it just to find out all the details in case someone were to come back looking for it.
That's a good point.
I'd still spend at least half and say that was all I found. Fuck em.
Sthrockmorton
10-04-2007, 12:16 PM
Yeah, since the guy who used to own the money got murdered (and it was probably related to the money), I'd be a little worried about keeping it, but for 100k, I'd relocate. That's a nice down payment on a new house.
AestheticDeath
10-04-2007, 12:38 PM
The article or video one said what Sean said. The guy who turned it in was afraid of the murderer coming back and looking for the money.
Too bad he didn't know the murderer had already committed suicide.
He should have done his research before calling the authorities. I know I would have. Four years is a fairly reasonable time for family members to inquire about the money if they knew the original owner had it in the first place.
Krendeli
10-04-2007, 01:14 PM
I'd still be tearing up that house. If there's one stash like that, there's bound to be more.
Celephais
10-04-2007, 01:18 PM
I'd still be tearing up that house. If there's one stash like that, there's bound to be more.
For all we know he could have found 500k, turned in 100k to appear like he turned everything in/is an idiot, is "fighting" for it because if he didn't it would seem obvious, and is laughing his way to the stripclub w/ $400,000 stashed away.
Clove
10-04-2007, 01:20 PM
For all we know he could have found 500k, turned in 100k to appear like he turned everything in/is an idiot, is "fighting" for it because if he didn't it would seem obvious, and is laughing his way to the stripclub w/ $400,000 stashed away.
FTMF WIN!
Originally Posted by DeV
He should have done his research before calling the authorities. I know I would have. Four years is a fairly reasonable time for family members to inquire about the money if they knew the original owner had it in the first place.
The people who found the money had only been living there a year or so since they bought the house in 2006. Who knows how long the wife of the murdered man has been looking for the money, if she was looking for the money, or if she even know about the money. I haven't actually read the case relating the murder but assuming that the murderer knew the murdered had money lying around if I bought the house I'd have to wonder how many other people knew or how many people might have been told before/after the murderer was caught/jailed etc. Maybe it's a little high on the paranoia scale but how much/how little money do you have to find to sleep soundly at night?
Depending on the property laws of the state, the results will vary.
In Texas the money would belong to the new owners. Its part of the "rights of parties in posession" clause. When you purchase the property, you are purchasing everything, the land, the improvements on the land, and everything not excepted in the contract used to purchase the property.
In Texas, the new owners would be $100K richer (less attorney fees for fighting it out in court).
Celephais
10-04-2007, 01:55 PM
In Texas, the new owners would be $100K richer (less attorney fees for fighting it out in court).
So they would net -$20k or so then? ... Fucking attorney fees.
Tsa`ah
10-04-2007, 07:32 PM
Depending on the property laws of the state, the results will vary.
In Texas the money would belong to the new owners. Its part of the "rights of parties in posession" clause. When you purchase the property, you are purchasing everything, the land, the improvements on the land, and everything not excepted in the contract used to purchase the property.
In Texas, the new owners would be $100K richer (less attorney fees for fighting it out in court).
Wouldn't that depend on how the home was purchased? If the "estranged" wife sold it ... I'd think she would be SOL. If it was sold by the bank, city, county, or state ... I could see how she would have some claim to it.
I would also think that 3-4 years is long enough for the surviving family to removed the dead man's personal affects in the case of a bank or public sale, or at least get an injunction to postpone either entity from removing the affects before the family could.
The new owner did the right thing, I believe the police fumbled the ball.
Wouldn't that depend on how the home was purchased? If the "estranged" wife sold it ... I'd think she would be SOL. If it was sold by the bank, city, county, or state ... I could see how she would have some claim to it.
Several variables that are left to interpretation by the courts in my opinion. First, what was stipulated in the contract of sale the property was sold under. Second, was the sale freely enacted by the surviving wife or was the sale forced by a bank, probate court, etc. Another huge factor is that old adage "posession is 9/10ths of the law". This definately applies to many different situations involving real property transactions.
I would also think that 3-4 years is long enough for the surviving family to removed the dead man's personal affects in the case of a bank or public sale, or at least get an injunction to postpone either entity from removing the affects before the family could.
More than reasonable amount of time if you ask me.
The new owner did the right thing, I believe the police fumbled the ball.
There are several 'right' things that could have been done depending on how you view whats right, legal, or otherwise IMO.
Turning in the money to the police was definately a nice thing to do. I think it would have been perfectly within his rights to have claimed it as his property since it was definately 'attached' to the property and all improvements purchased therein that he contracted to buy.
I think what might or might be a sticky point was the fact that the assets were included in the sale unbeknownst to the wife, due to non-disclosure by unwilling means (husband's untimely death). Furthermore, was the money part of funds allocated from resources belonging to both wife and husband? Furthermore was the funds hidden part of any ill-gotten gains that can be proved? (Just trying to throw as many cracks on the wall as I can)
I can definately say that the lawyers will be paid. ;) And the courts for their time... Who gets the rest? Its in the hands of a judge I'm betting.
chillmonster
10-04-2007, 10:35 PM
Eh if I knew someone was murdered in the house that I bought and then found a fat stack of cash I'd probably think about reporting it just to find out all the details in case someone were to come back looking for it.
I don't care if there was a not written on it saying, "Property of Osama Bin Laden. Touch and we delare Jihad on you." It doesn't matter who owns it. From the point it touched my hands, it would have been mine. And for anyone who came to rob me...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/119846362_f103007a64.jpg
Tsa`ah
10-05-2007, 02:27 AM
I don't care if there was a not written on it saying, "Property of Osama Bin Laden. Touch and we delare Jihad on you." It doesn't matter who owns it. From the point it touched my hands, it would have been mine. And for anyone who came to rob me...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/119846362_f103007a64.jpg
In this case, good luck with that.
Similar bundles of cash were found hidden in the home after Scott Quinn, a 37-year-old bail bondsman and gun dealer, was found stabbed to death in 2003.
In this case the guy's career was all about guns and catching criminals (to an extent) ... and he wasn't shot to death, he was stabbed to death ... in his own fucking home.
I would be highly motivated to remove any doubt that hidden cash remained in a home I recently bought under those circumstance ... and I own hand guns, rifles, and shotguns.
Clove
10-05-2007, 06:14 PM
I would be highly motivated to remove any doubt that hidden cash remained in a home I recently bought under those circumstance ... and I own hand guns, rifles, and shotguns.
Planets must be aligning, this is twice I'm in total agreement. When you're right, you're right.
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