$300,000.00 RING FOUND IN CAR

[Reef Dawg]

While cleaning my better half's car this morning, I found what I thought was a costume ring. When I showed it to Eva, she almost fainted. It turns out, that the ring was lost almost (3) years ago by a wealthy Palm Beach client of hers. We called the owners of the Diamond and Sapphire ring who were, needless to say, stunned and happy by the news.

The ring was lost during a move that Eva was helping with. Apparently, the owner of the ring thought is was a Maid that had made off with it. Turns out that the ring was in some clothes and had fallen out into the car. The wealthy client's son had bought the ring at auction as a gift for his Mother and told us it's worth about $300,000.00. Talk about being surprised.

WHAT A WAY TO START OFF THE NEW WEEK!

So, Treasure sometimes can come from above the surface.

I guess now I'm considered a Treasure Finder, not a Treasure Hunter. LOL

Reef Dawg

[GopherDaGold]

Wonder what happened with the maid? Fired? Arrested?

[Reef Dawg]

I guess, by what Eva just told me, since it was only a suspicion, they (ring's owners) didn't do anything. I'll bet that Maid's morning has been a good one also.

[GopherDaGold]

You'll get a check mark in the 'done good' column by the Man Upstairs

And an 'Honorable Mention' here I'm sure.

[Reef Dawg]

We're always struggling to make ends meat, but we're true believers in "Karma," so being honest is always the best policy.

[jeff of pa]

I'd be going to Disneyland in a New Jag
with a New Detector in the Trunk

Just Kidding
I Don't like Disneyland

Cool Find

[treasurefiend]

Something that expensive would of had insurance on it (and I'm sure it would of been paid out after 3 years), heck I would of kept it!!!

[mariner]

As I tell my kids, everybody should clean out their car every three or four years, whether it needs it or not.

Mariner

[Mighty AP]

Wonder what happened with the maid? Fired? Arrested?

Drawn & quartered would be my bet.
Hey Dawg, I believe in Karma as well.........you did a very good thing & I think Karma's gonna repay you in a big way!!!

[cntrydncr1]

nicely done!!! congrats on the return.

[FISHEYE]

Theres all kinds of goodies in cars in the nooks and crannies,also old washing machines,you pull out the plastic or metal center piece and you find coins and rings and jewelry under it.Ive worked in several junk and scrap yards and have found lots of treasure.I found 50lbs of old pennies in a spare tire compartment in a old car.Just recently a friend gave me and frank a car that was left abandoned and locked with no keys on his property,we found more gold jewelry(rings,diamond earings,watches a rare knife) underneath the seats and carpet and in the trunk than the car was worth,plus we sold the car for parts.There is treasure everywhere if you know where to look and most times you dont need a MD to find it.

Reef Dawg,

I would do some checking to see if the owners insurance paid off on the ring,if so,tell em insurance fraud is a crime and you want the ring.Or they can keep the ring and give you the cash.

[GopherDaGold]

I would do some checking to see if the owners insurance paid off on the ring,if so,tell em insurance fraud is a crime and you want the ring.Or they can keep the ring and give you the cash.

That's not an attitude that reflects positively on the hobby. It is not our duty to police after the folks we return items to. I'd much rather sleep well at night.

[woodstock]

I agree with you. Thats probably the reason why they're so happy to get it back cause now it's a freebee. Instead of giving them the ring back I would have had them give me there insurer that paid out for the loss. They would have gotton the ring back and gave him a reward for finding and returning it. Now it looks like the rich just got richer. I bet they didn't tell the insurance company they have it back in there hands. I comend the honesty of the finder on returning it but the insurance company should be notified about the return. If they didn't insure it and I truly dought that a $300,000 ring wasn't they just got a $300,000 gift to add to there wealth.

Something that expensive would of had insurance on it (and I'm sure it would of been paid out after 3 years), heck I would of kept it!!!

[woodstock]

I agree with you Fisheye. And I disagree that this isn't why we do this type of return to owner from GopherDaGold. People that have enough wealth to buy a $300.000 ring can eather afford to reward you for your honesty. It's one thing to return a Class ring to a little old lady that is common folk but to give a rich well to do a bonus $300,000 windfall isn't helping out our hobby. But adding to the coffers of the already rich. And if it's been paid out by insurance, it is fraud and not notifing the insurance company and just might very well be "aiding and abetting" to insurance fraud itself. After insurance payout the ring( if found )belongs to the insurance company, not the orginal owner.
A case in fact is when divers find a wreck and can't keep the finds because the insurance company has paid out for the losses. The divers finds are held until the matter of ownership is settled in court. I'd be looking into this further before I returned the ring.

I would do some checking to see if the owners insurance paid off on the ring,if so,tell em insurance fraud is a crime and you want the ring.Or they can keep the ring and give you the cash.

That's not an attitude that reflects positively on the hobby. It is not our duty to police after the folks we return items to. I'd much rather sleep well at night.

[GopherDaGold]

I don't think levels of honesty should be based on the wealth of the person getting the item back. You DO have a point though. My reasoning was based on the fact that we as treasure hunters/metal detectors already have a tough enough row to hoe. We needn't bring on additional negative attention by demanding or even nicely asking for a reward because we ASSume the item was insured. We also don't know that the family is still wealthy. Remember, the ring was lost three years ago. Perhaps the family was heavily invested with Bernie Made-off. If so, they are dirt poor now. Too many variables here to be cut and dry.
There are two options IMO. Keep the ring...PERIOD, Or return it but with no expectation of a reward. I have no opinion either way but as the ring was found in the finders own car, there are no wrong answers. Spilled milk, anyone?

I stand by my post.

[FISHEYE]

Look at it this way,if you were walking down the beach and found a duffle bag that washed up soaking wet with 1 million dollars in cash in it would you try and find the owner be it a drug smuggler or it fell off someones boat and give it back to them for no reward?

Im a firm believer in finders keepers,unless someone advertised the loss on the net or the papers and is offering a reward for the lost item.If i happened to find the lost item no matter what its worth was,then i would return it for the reward.

As far as the duffle bag of cash,i would keep it.

[GopherDaGold]

Look at it this way,if you were walking down the beach and found a duffle bag that washed up soaking wet with 1 million dollars in cash in it would you try and find the owner be it a drug smuggler or it fell off someones boat and give it back to them for no reward?

Im a firm believer in finders keepers,unless someone advertised the loss on the net or the papers and is offering a reward for the lost item.If i happened to find the lost item no matter what its worth was,then i would return it for the reward.

As far as the duffle bag of cash,i would keep it.

I agree that a million bucks washed up on shore is fair game, however in this case, the persons wife knew who the ring belonged to. Weigh that against the fact that three years had elapsed AND it was found inside the finders own property. Therein lies the moral dilemma. I happen to think the MOST correct solution was returning it but with no expectations.
And I'm fairly certain that drug cartels don't label their duffel bags.

[kenley]

About 25 years ago, two boys found a bail of 100 dollar bills in the desert just North of Freer, Tx. They hired some guy to buy them a new pickup apiece since they were only 14 or 15. Yep, dealer called police when a saddle bum paid cash for three new trucks. Dumb. Seem the money was thrown out of a drug plane a year before. I don't know what the outcome was.

[HCW]

Look at it this way,if you were walking down the beach and found a duffle bag that washed up soaking wet with 1 million dollars in cash in it would you try and find the owner be it a drug smuggler or it fell off someones boat and give it back to them for no reward?

Im a firm believer in finders keepers,unless someone advertised the loss on the net or the papers and is offering a reward for the lost item.If i happened to find the lost item no matter what its worth was,then i would return it for the reward.

As far as the duffle bag of cash,i would keep it.

I agree with you GDG, Reef dawg did the right thing for the right reasons. He can sleep well at night. End of story.
I agree that a million bucks washed up on shore is fair game, however in this case, the persons wife knew who the ring belonged to. Weigh that against the fact that three years had elapsed AND it was found inside the finders own property. Therein lies the moral dilemma. I happen to think the MOST correct solution was returning it but with no expectations.
And I'm fairly certain that drug cartels don't label their duffel bags.

[ivan salis]

if nothing else you took the "stink eye" off some innocent "working class" folks -- "thier" help. for that alone you deserve 2 golden atta boys.