Homeless Man: $77,000 In Found Money Is Legally His

Imagine being homeless, walking miles and miles on sore and exhausted feet, and then stopping to wash said feet in the river. Then, imagine accidentally kicking a discarded bag on your way to do so and hearing the familiar clink of coins inside it. What would you do?

Most of us would check it out, and that’s exactly what Timothy Yost did in January after coming upon a bit of treasure in a Texas park. What he found inside was life-changing: $77,000 in damp cash and South African coins, randomly discarded by the river by persons unknown.

When he took it to the bank to change it in for dry, U.S. currency, however, the bank teller alerted police, who promptly confiscated it. Officials had to be sure it wasn’t associated with any crime, and put a notice in the local newspaper about it. After 90 days, no owner came forward, and under Texas law, Yost has the right to claim it. In other words, finders keepers.