General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStudents Find $40,000 Hidden in $20 Couch. Return it.
http://7online.com/news/new-paltz-students-find-$40000-in-couch-from-thrift-store/60536/link may not work
here's another
http://www.freep.com/article/20140515/NEWS07/305150146/new-york-couch-money-found-roommates
But inside, three college roomates found a stash full of money, totalling $40,000.
The students in New Paltz had a tough decision: do they keep the money or track down the owner who stole it?
The ugly and kind of uncomfortable couch came from the Salvation Army, and for a couple of months it just sat there in the tiny apartment, until Reese Werkhoven decided to find out why it was so lumpy.
"There's a zipper on the bottom, and he pulled out a bag, and we said it's either drugs or money, and we freak out and it's a stack of hundreds and fifties," said student Lara Russo.
"So we pulled it out of the couch and we're shaking and the first thing Lara said is 'lock the doors'," said Reese.
"Next door they actually thought that we won the lottery. Our walls are really thin between our wall and their wall," said social worker Callie Guasti.
The first envelope had $4,000 in it, the others added up to over $40,000.
"At first we found the money but there was no name or anything, and we're bugging out, like, what kind of boat are we going to get, where are we going," said Reese.
"I wanted to go on an epic road trip around the United States, that would be awesome," said Lara.
Envelope by envelope the money was piling up, and the Salvation Army doesn't keep records on this sort of thing, so they wouldn't have known who donated that couch. The three admit they were thinking about all the cool things they could do with that money, until they found the deposit slip. And then it became a whole different moral issue.
But what's most remarkable about the three, who are all from New York City and went to the same high school, is that there wasn't a question or even a debate. The money wasn't theirs.
"We were always pretty clear, if we could find her and she was alive, it was her money, no matter what the circumstances," Lara said.
They tracked down the woman whose name was on the envelope. She is 91 years old and had recently broken a hip. She didn't trust banks, and her kids donated the couch when she was in the hospital. She was a widow.
"That's one of the things she said, 'I feel like this is a gift from my husband, he's looking down on me and that's part of the reason you guys came here', which was so touching," said Callie.
Three kids, whose collective savings add up to, well, they don't have any savings. But they sure do have an abundance of goodwill.
"It wasn't a debate, we immediately reached a consensus that this is her money," said Reese.
Nice kids. Made me smile.
MineralMan
(146,295 posts)That's the way you do it.
You get your money for nothing,
And give it back for free.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,614 posts)pampango
(24,692 posts)RiffRandell
(5,909 posts)Nice kids.
mac56
(17,566 posts)If I am ever in their shoes, I'd like to think I would be as honest as they are.
progressoid
(49,989 posts)JI7
(89,249 posts)if they found it .
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)in the Twin Cities. It turned to be worth around $100,000. They knew who donated it and contacted him. It turned out that he knew it was worth that kind of money and he intended for them to sell it.
justhanginon
(3,290 posts)to get on my lawn anytime they want. Nice to read such a cool story and I am proud of them. They done good!
Damansarajaya
(625 posts)in a matter of six months or six years, but, yeah, the kids did the right thing.
Took a lot of moral courage to do that.
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts)We're No. 1 !
rocktivity
(44,576 posts)New Paltz is my alma mater!
ON EDIT: Working link to 7Online story.
rocktivity
Raine1967
(11,589 posts)Love the kids in that town as well!
tomg
(2,574 posts)My youngest is there right now and loves it.
oneofthe99
(712 posts)Those kids would have their tuition all paid for anonymously
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)Young people a hundred-fold.
alphafemale
(18,497 posts)So glad the lady got her money back.
She must have been frantic.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)for giving away the couch without asking her.
whopis01
(3,512 posts)I might have returned it - but boy, I just don't know.
Logical
(22,457 posts)Snotcicles
(9,089 posts)RedCappedBandit
(5,514 posts)rug
(82,333 posts)YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)altruism is still around. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it.
Good job kids. Humanity is a little bit brighter tonight!
tofuandbeer
(1,314 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)for saving their ass.
They must kind of suck if they ditched this woman's stuff while she was in the hospital.
grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)Ash_F
(5,861 posts)If you find a bag of cash, RUN.
TNNurse
(6,926 posts)The money was not theirs. Simple honesty but so rare. I hope they will know how many people admire them.
bullsnarfle
(254 posts)the right to be giving away her stuff while she was in the hospital? That's what I'd like to know.