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What should have been Dunne?
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What should have been Dunne? |
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rwood Member Elite
since 2000-02-29
Posts 3793Tennessee 
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Reported in 2007, this story has taken a while to pan out due to dispute and lawsuits. An amazing find of "$182,000 in Depression-era currency hidden in a bathroom wall." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_re_us/house_hidden_money Here's a bit more detailed account of the find. http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20081108/UPDATES01/81108015 Dunne's name was on most of the money, but there was some religious & personal memorabilia hidden in the walls, as well. I would have had to notify his heirs, which many would think I'm the craziest person in the world, but many could benefit instead of one or two. Though I think that, somehow, the find would generate fights no matter what one tried to do once another person is involved. |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Interesting predicament... One would think that, if the money belonged to the Dunnes, it should go to them. If you want to go by "need", which seems to be the language of the day these days, then Reese would appear to be the most needy, bogged down by so many debts and bordering on Bankruptcy....of course, one would have to explain why she used 14,000 of it to take a trip to Hawaii instead of paying bills.  Strip away all of the straw and you have money belonging to a family having the rights to it with the contractor in line for a finder's fee. The homeowner has no claim to it, whatsoever, even though she spent the bulk of it....period. |
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Ron
Administrator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669Michigan, US |
Just a thought, but when I buy a house I generally don't expect the previous owner to leave a lot of stuff behind. A refrigerator might be good? Gallon of milk in the refrigerator not so good. In either case, however, I don't expect the owner to show up at my door a few years later (let alone several score) asking to retrieve what was abandoned. You leave it behind, I get to dispose of it at my own discretion. I don't need your permission. My house. My stuff. If you wanted it, you should have taken it with you. Oh, and if I hired a contractor and he started breaking into lockboxes or opening sealed envelopes, regardless of what was inside, I would have his butt in a sling faster than you can say, "You've been served." Whether he found it in a wall or under by bed, I think there's an implied right to privacy. Stay out of my stuff. |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Well, Ron, I don't really know the details fully enough but it doesn't seem to me that the owner just "left" the item behind. When talking of that amount of money I would assume something happened to the original owner (like death?) to prevent him from taking it with him or from notifying relatives it was there. I would have a hard time calling it "abandoned". Would you, or any rational human being, move out of a house and leave that kind of wealth behind? Nor were there any relatives who showed up until this thing they didn't even know existed was actually found. I doubt the "should have taken it with you" philosophy applies here. When you speak of the contractor breaking into lock boxes or opening envelopes, I'll give you that one, that that action was not appropriate. Take into consideration, though, that the lockboxes weren't on a shelf in the closet, they were enclosed within a bathroom wall, in a place that had not seen the light of day in years and had no access, save tearing down the wall. On his behalf, I would say he did the right thing in notifying the owner as soon as he saw what it contained. He could have jusr as easily taken it with no one being the wiser. I'm assuming by you response that you believe the current owner of the house has the rights to it. Sorry to hear that.... |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
How interesting, Regina. Anyone consider that the old man didn't much care for his relatives, and hid his money with the vague hope that someone who might truly need it someday would find it? In this case, however, the original "finder" was there on behalf of the owner of the house. I doubt Dunne would have wanted the current owner to have it, given her apparently irresponsible financial history; and the poor contractor was supposedly "not raised" to do anything but the right thing. Sounds like the judge needed to be Solomon and all he needed was a good old fashioned pre-depression quarter.  As it was, once the news hit the papers, everyone became a loser - even the relatives, because for the pittance they got, most of that likely ended up in their attorneys' pockets. I wonder if Dunne had a sense of humor? |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Anyone consider that the old man didn't much care for his relatives, and hid his money with the vague hope that someone who might truly need it someday would find it? Nope  You have been watching way too much t.v.! |
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rwood Member Elite
since 2000-02-29
Posts 3793Tennessee |
Yeah, I’ve tossed this around in my head and there’s so much I’ve pondered. The nature of his stash is timely with current fears, so many years later, and of course my writer’s brain thinks of the many stories that could be spun from the event. Like Mike, I did question: Did Dunne die, suddenly and unexpectedly, and his decision to hide his wealth was a misfortunate one? Dunno. But a will would have been a smart answer for such a prosperous businessman. Was there a will? Dunno, but if not, Karilea could be spot on: He may not have wanted his family touching his money. Though if he was really mean, he could have sent them on a wild goose chase for it, complete with a map and had them tear each other apart for it. That was already a movie, wasn’t it? Could it have been greed or paranoia or a combo of things? Who knows? What if it was dirty money!! Ooo the plot thickens (but that’s just my overactive imagination.) $182,000 at 5% interest would be roughly $9.7 million dollars over 80 years, but his choice to hide the money saved it, I suppose? And it was worth much more to collectors than face value. And yes, I too, thought Reece had one hell of a luau on 14k in Hawaii. LOL. AND she said $60 grand was stolen and she didn’t call the coppers…hmph. For some reason, I doubt her story. But as Ron points out: It was the Reece’s home and owner’s entitlements come with the deed to the property. So the decision may have been very easy if there was never a contractor: Kitts. Reece would have claimed the money and no one would have known the better. Kitts argument for 40% sealed his greed for me. Sorry. But I “find” things for people all the time and I don’t want anything. It’s just the nature of my job and I’m on their property and I have no rights to anything I didn’t bring with me, and I’d certainly never open any envelopes or boxes. But if someone offered me a reward? Ok, if one insists, 10% would have been entirely and completely generous. But if I was the one knocking down the wall and found it, which I’ve knocked down a few walls in my lifetime affinity of old houses, (finding nothing but lots of dust) the Dunne name would have somehow personalized it for me, as well as the memorabilia. And I feel I would have sought out info on Mr. Dunne and his heirs. I mean it would be different if the money was anonymously stashed, since the house is so old that it had changed hands more than once, I’m sure. So no, I wouldn’t advertise “To any previous owners: I found some money. Is it yours?” lol. But with my luck? It would have been mobster money or something so NOT good that trying to be the good person would get me nothing but some sporty concrete shoes, and I’d been tossed to the bottom of some scummy pond. Haha. which reminds me. I better make a will. Yep, the attorneys make out when we fail to. |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Too much TV, 'Deer? Nah...to many lawyers. Too many ways to look into something, and come up with so many hypotheses. But it does make the beginnings of a wonderfully complex story, doesn't it, Reg? Possession [of property] being 9/10th's of the law, it is interesting to thing about property in general. Real property; personal property; the person who bought the "property" bought it "as is" and/or with some adjustments at the time; "as is" is pretty strong holding power for what's here is mine lingo. I've moved in and out of more than a few homes over the last um, few decades. I came upon "property" left behind from the previous owners. A call to the relators to pass on the question of "did you want this?" has been done on more than one occasion. However, when doing remodeling [more than once] the best we ever found outside of dust was some rat spill and carcasses of small furry creatures, just my luck.However, when my ex and I took on his parents' home with most of their stuff "in storage" in the same house, my ex took it upon himself to go into some of the trunks. I considered that trespassing on his parents' personal belongings, but he shared some of his father's letters written while overseas in the war with me... and they were far too personal to share here! Suffice to say that goodness gracious! they could have pinked some cheeks!! And Reg? Yep...I don't work with the legal world any longer, but it is too far ingrained not to suggest that you follow up on your own thoughts.  |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
I'm guessing that Regina created this post to try to find out what other people thought was RIGHT....not necessarily legal or what would stand up in court. One can come up with all kinds of arguments to justify their opinions but there's one fact that remains constant.. The money belonged to Dunne! |
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