Legal Question in Construction Law in New Jersey
found money
if you are a contractor doing work in someones home and you find moldy cash in the wall and you know by the dates on the bills that it has been there at least 15 years, do you have any claim to the money and do you have to notify the home owner
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: found money
How much money are we talking about?
Read this article: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,449114,00.html
I believe money found in the house would belong to the homeowner, not the contractor. I did not search the caselaw, but if you read that article about the $182,000 found in the walls in Ohio, the estate of the original seller of the home had a claim to the money. I suggest you give the money to the homeowner, and ask for a 'finders fee'. Otherwise, you both may lose out. Though the homeowner has the obvious claim in the money, theoretically, even the homeowner did not expect to find that money, so the prior owner could argue it is a 'windfall', and that they are entitled to it, ASSUMING they put the money there!
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