Cash totaling 2500만 원 was found in a trash bag beside a villa in Incheon.
The finder immediately reported it to the police, and procedures to locate the owner continued for 6 months.
When no owner ultimately came forward, the money was paid to the finder.
3-line summary
1. The cash in the trash bag was attributed to the finder
2. Of the 2500만 원, 1923만 원 was paid
3. The timing of the report and the public-notice procedure were important
Bundles of Cash Found in a 20L Bag Beside a Villa on February 10
On February 10, cash totaling 2500만 원 was found in a 20L volume-based garbage bag placed beside a villa in Geumgok-dong, Jemulpo-gu, Incheon. The incident occurred when A, a person in their 60s who was planning to collect used clothing, looked inside the bag, saw bundles of cash, and reported them to the police.
The cash consisted of five bundles, each containing 100 50,000-won banknotes, and was covered by articles of clothing. Because the discovery site was in a residential area and the amount was substantial, police investigated both the owner of the money and any connection to a crime.
The Incheon Jemulpo Police Station visited dozens of nearby homes to make inquiries and published notices of the discovery on the integrated lost-and-found portal and in a local newspaper. Notices were also posted around the scene. However, fingerprint analysis reportedly produced no information identifying the owner, and no unusual circumstances were found on nearby closed-circuit (CC)TV footage.
Ownership of Lost Property Applied After a 6-Month Public Notice
According to reports, if the original owner of lost property does not assert their rights within 6 months after the public notice, the finder may acquire ownership. In this case as well, no one claiming to be the owner of the cash came forward during the 6 months.
It was confirmed that A had completed the report within 1 week of the discovery and had no grounds for disqualification from acquiring ownership. Conversely, if the owner had been identified, the finder may in some cases receive compensation ranging from 5% to 20% of the value of the lost property.
The important point is that finding cash does not immediately make it personal money. The procedure first requires reporting it to the police and waiting for the owner to assert their rights during the public-notice period. The conclusion in this case does not mean that the source of the cash was known; it means that no ownership claim was made within the prescribed period.
1923만 원 After Taxes and Public-Notice Costs
In August, police paid A 1923만 원 into an account. This was the amount remaining after deducting 577만 원, comprising 22% in income and other related taxes and local-newspaper public-notice costs, from the initial discovery amount of 2500만 원.
A police official stated that no connection to a crime had been confirmed, but that the owner of the cash never came forward. Rather than the unusual scene of a large sum of cash inside a trash bag, it is clearer that the act of reporting it immediately after the discovery and the subsequent public-notice procedure determined its final attribution.
References
Tags #TrashBag #CashFound #LostProperty #LostPropertyLaw #FoundProperty #Incheon #JemulpoPoliceStation #VolumeBasedGarbageBag #Cash2500만 원 #LostItemReport #LostPropertyNotice #FinderCompensation #Ownership