Found an endorsed check - What would you do?

[whipsaw]

[ QUOTE ]
Do the right thing AND cash the check.

Cash the check, Party BJ. Quadruple amount then send original amount to owner.

P.S. If this was a small amount that was sent with a birthday card or something I'd cash it. If this was a large amount like a roommate's half of the rent, I'd try to give it back.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd take a kid's birthday money? How cruel.

[im a model]

its a trap yo. you gonna cash it and then when you walk back up the driveway chris hansen is gonna be like, "why dont you have a seat over there. so, you think its ok to cash checks that dont belong to you?"

ive seen it a thousand times yo.

[T.J. Combo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do the right thing AND cash the check.

Cash the check, Party BJ. Quadruple amount then send original amount to owner.

P.S. If this was a small amount that was sent with a birthday card or something I'd cash it. If this was a large amount like a roommate's half of the rent, I'd try to give it back.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd take a kid's birthday money? How cruel.

[/ QUOTE ]

With a response like this, it's obvious you're either going to try to return it or tear it into a million pieces and act like you never found it.

If it was me, I'd probably do the second one so that worst case scenario, check would have to be re-written and resent.

Realistically, this is my play. Shred it. I'd be way too lazy to find original owner.

[whipsaw]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do the right thing AND cash the check.

Cash the check, Party BJ. Quadruple amount then send original amount to owner.

P.S. If this was a small amount that was sent with a birthday card or something I'd cash it. If this was a large amount like a roommate's half of the rent, I'd try to give it back.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd take a kid's birthday money? How cruel.

[/ QUOTE ]

With a response like this, it's obvious you're either going to try to return it or tear it into a million pieces and act like you never found it.

If it was me, I'd probably do the second one so that worst case scenario, check would have to be re-written and resent.

Realistically, this is my play. Shred it. I'd be way too lazy to find original owner.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I just figured most people's reaction would be the opposite - if it was a very small amount of money, just do nothing; if it's 10K, try and get the mobnies

[T.J. Combo]

$20 is an "Oh crap, you lost it? Let me write you another one."

$10k is a lawsuit where they will try to get and will get more than $10k.

[Georgia Avenue]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do the right thing AND cash the check.

Cash the check, Party BJ. Quadruple amount then send original amount to owner.

P.S. If this was a small amount that was sent with a birthday card or something I'd cash it. If this was a large amount like a roommate's half of the rent, I'd try to give it back.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd take a kid's birthday money? How cruel.

[/ QUOTE ]

With a response like this, it's obvious you're either going to try to return it or tear it into a million pieces and act like you never found it.

If it was me, I'd probably do the second one so that worst case scenario, check would have to be re-written and resent.

Realistically, this is my play. Shred it. I'd be way too lazy to find original owner.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I just figured most people's reaction would be the opposite - if it was a very small amount of money, just do nothing; if it's 10K, try and get the mobnies

[/ QUOTE ]

We're too rational for that. The more money there is, the better chance that it's already been canceled/it would be a problem to cash. Also, if we give it back, there's a better chance that some rich dude will give us free legal rewards. If its tiny, no one would care, and neither would it be worth the hassle. The real magic number (Traveler's Dilemma?) is what the average amount is wherein it'd be worth the risk to try and cash it, but not so large that we'd worry about getting caught or wanting to get a reward. I'm guessing for most people it'd be between 4-600 bucks.

[Jiggymike]

Don't bother trying to cash it. I guess a check-cashing place would do it but like others have said, it's either too cheap to be worth the mobnies or so expensive that people will have cancelled it. Just rip it up and be done with it, or send it back for karmas sake.

[holdme]

everyone here says karma
no one has mentioned conscience

[hennnerz]

I have been wondering this for a while. How easy is it to cash a check and never have the person who's account the money came from know who cashed it?

Basically how easy is it to trace who/where check was banked?

[Das Budrick]

[ QUOTE ]
everyone here says karma
no one has mentioned conscience

[/ QUOTE ]

this is a solid point. I think in cases like this your conscience or potential guilt is much more relevant than the concept of karma or whether or not that has any actual impact on your life. I would go with what TJ Combo said, if it's under a hundred or so I'd take it but I would probably shred a rent check