Halifax worker who found missing cash may be in for windfall

The finders keepers rule could soon be kicking in for a downtown Halifax mall employee who discovered a big wad of cash that's still unclaimed by the owner after two and a half months.

The cash, which Halifax Regional Police say is in the thousands of dollars, was found under a chair at the Scotia Square food court on March 28. The bills were held together with a paper clip inside a sealed envelope. 

The police force has a policy that if found money goes unclaimed for 90 days, the finder gets to keep it. So a cash windfall for the finder could happen around June 26.

6 people turned over cash to police this year

So far this year, six honest people have turned in a total of $6,970 to city police.

In February, a worker at Value Village in Dartmouth found several thousand dollars inside a bundle of donated drapes. That money was claimed. 

A month later, there was the Scotia Square case.

That was followed by two incidents in April in which both owners of the money came forward. In Dartmouth, cash was scattered on lawns near Woodland Avenue on April 20. And on April 30, a couple of hundred dollars was found on the road near Gottingen and Cunard streets in Halifax.

In late May, the Value Village store in Halifax had its own surprise. Several thousand dollars were tucked inside a textbook. That's still unclaimed.

And now the most recent find at Saint Mary's University. 

'They do the right thing'

"I think it's a great thing. It shows how great the citizens of Halifax are," said Const. Pierre Bourdages, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Police.

"We have citizens who care for one another, and when they find money that does not belong to them they do the right thing and turn it over to police."

Then there's the case of cash left behind by the so-called Sugar Man at the Atlantic Wholesale Club in April. The store put out its own appeal to find the mystery man. He still hasn't shown up at the store.