Not theirs to keep

(Public Domain)

If you found buried treasure in your own backyard, would you ask neighbors if it belonged to them?  Perhaps not.

Some, however, would.  Two, in fact, did.

While replacing some trees on their property, Matthew and Maria Emanuel discovered a rusty old safe containing cash, gems and gold.  This treasure trove was worth over $50,000.

In with the goodies was a small piece of paper.  Lo and behold!  It contained “an address that matched their neighbor’s.”

Uh oh!  Now what?  Certainly an ethical dilemma.  Should they keep mum or come clean?  To their credit, the Emanuels soon knocked on the neighbor’s door.

Matthew and Maria then asked, "Were you ever robbed?" The answer was a resounding “Yes!”  Back in 2011, a “safe containing about $52,000 worth of property was stolen.”  Police records confirmed this.  The safe was therefore returned to its rightful owners.

When asked why she didn’t go the “finders keepers, losers weepers” route, Maria quickly answered:  It wasn’t even a question.  It wasn’t ours.

Resources

http://www.azfamily.com/story/38210017/couple-finds-hidden-safe-filled-with-cash-jewels-in-backyard

Copyright May 17, 2018 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved