Help Me Howard: Found Money

WSVN -- Remember those honest people you are always hearing about, well here they are.

Jim Rolffs: "Our parents, both of them, just brought us up to be honest."

Jim and Jeanne Rolffs are horse healers, spending their days doing physical therapy on thoroughbred race horses.

Jim Rolffs: "We go over the horses to relax the muscles and tissues and get their blood flowing."

Jeanne Rolffs: "When you get done they are very grateful, very grateful. It's fun, it's a fun job."

But, it's not their healing powers that brought them to Help me Howard, it's their honesty.

Jim Rolffs: "I looked down and saw some money."

The couple was looking for plants at a Home Depot when Jim spotted the cash.

Jim Rolffs: "Just laying on the floor, it was almost like somebody had it in their pocket and accidentally reached for something in their pocket and pulled their hand out and the money fell out."

Quite a bit of money laying on the floor. Your first reaction might have been to stuff it in your pocket and think, my lucky day, but not Jim.

Jim Rolffs: "Well, it is not my money. It wasn't my money."

So, the couple went and found the store manager.

Jim Rolffs: "He said, well, what they could do is take the money and hold it for 30 days and to see if anybody came forward to claim it, and we said, 'Fine, not a problem.'"

A month went by, Jim called the store to see if anyone had claimed the cash and was told it had been turned over to the police, so he called them.

Jim Rolffs: "I said, 'Well, the police department just keeps it,' and he says, 'Yeah, you got a problem.'"

Jim was not happy, not because he won't get the money, because the owner won't get the money.

Jim Rolffs: "It is not our money, pure and simple. I'd rather see the original owner get it than the Hollywood Police Department keep it."

But, is it finders keepers, or can the police keep the found money, Howard?

Howard Finkelstein: "If you find the money in a public place, by law you must turn it over to police. If no one claims it after 90 days, the money is yours. If you find it in a business, you can keep it, but if the rightful owner comes forward at any time in the future, you have to return it, so since Jim found this in a store, he gets it back immediately."

The day after we talked to the police, they checked with their attorney who agreed with Howard, and Jim was able to pick up all the money he found.

Jim Rolffs: "I don't think it would have happened if it wasn't for you guys, maybe it would have, I don't know."

Jim and Jeanne stuck the cash in the bank, but they truly want the rightful owners to have it, and so now they are on Help me Howard to try one more time to get it done.

Jeanne Rolffs: "We work very hard for our money, and we know a lot of other people do to."

Jim Rolffs: "If they can call in to your channel, tell the person exactly the dollar amount and what denominations it was, then they are the rightful owner, and they will be happy to get the money back."

Well if you lost money and can tell us when it was lost, where, how much and which denominations, it's been found. Give us a call or email us. Remember, when and where it was lost, the amount and a description of the bills. Jim and Jeanne truly want you to get your money back. Nice people.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  

CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD
EMAIL: helpmehoward@wsvn.com (Please include your contact phone number when emailing)
REPORTER: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
MIAMI-DADE: 305-953-WSVN
BROWARD: 954-761-WSVN