Finders but not keepers?

[IDrinkaRum]

British woman lost winning lottery ticket, it's found by a couple who then turn it in to get the money jury tells them to give the remaining money (plus 11 pounds interest) back to original owner

The couple was found to be guilty of fraud because they claimed the ticket for their own. They thought they were entitled to the money as they believed in the old adage "Finders Keepers".

What do ya'll think?

[Rapscallion]

They didn't buy the ticket. They claimed to be the rightful winner when they weren't.

Find 'finders keepers' in the law books and they're fine. Other than that, they're buggered sideways.

Rapscallion

[Arcade Man D]

They didn't buy the ticket. They claimed to be the rightful winner when they weren't.

Find 'finders keepers' in the law books and they're fine. Other than that, they're buggered sideways.

Rapscallion

I don't know how it is in Britain, but in the US, a lotto ticket is a bearer instrument. If I drop a winning scratch ticket and someone else picks it up, they can claim it and there isn't a thing I can do about it.

[BroomJockey]

If I drop a winning scratch ticket and someone else picks it up, they can claim it and there isn't a thing I can do about it.

Except that I can argue you've stolen my property, if I can prove that a) it was mine, and b) that I tried to get it back, and reasonably would have, but for your actions. After all, if someone drops a wallet, it's illegal to take out the cash, despite cash being a bearer instrument.

[Arcade Man D]

Except that I can argue you've stolen my property, if I can prove that a) it was mine, and b) that I tried to get it back, and reasonably would have, but for your actions. After all, if someone drops a wallet, it's illegal to take out the cash, despite cash being a bearer instrument.

Point, but the wallet would have a means of IDing the owner. I'm thinking more along the lines of dropping it out of my pocket as I hop on the bus, and someone comes by an hour later and picks it up. While technically, yes, it is still mine, he could probably redeem it and I wouldn't really be able to do anything with a lack of evidence.

[BroomJockey]

I wouldn't really be able to do anything with a lack of evidence.

In a case as you describe, you're right, mostly because that a) you can't ID who took it, and b) the store was acting in good faith, and likely would have mixed in the ticket with others that were redeemed, thus making something like Print Identification nigh impossible.

In a case where the person who took it is identifiable, I'd imagine it would work slightly differently.

[Arcade Man D]

In a case as you describe, you're right, mostly because that a) you can't ID who took it, and b) the store was acting in good faith, and likely would have mixed in the ticket with others that were redeemed, thus making something like Print Identification nigh impossible.

In a case where the person who took it is identifiable, I'd imagine it would work slightly differently.

And the guy who came buy later could have picked it up and cashed it in good faith, thinking it was thrown out.

[BroomJockey]

And the guy who came buy later could have picked it up and cashed it in good faith, thinking it was thrown out.

Not exactly. By legal standards, he'd be required to turn it in as lost property to the local police department, who would return it to the owner if it was enquired after, or to the person who turned it in, after the required time has passed. Just because it's on the ground doesn't make it trash.