A man who found two gold bars and golden coins worth EUR 135,000 when he decluttered his apartment has lodged a claim to keep the lot.
Police in the city of Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg State, Germany, were astonished when he walked in with two gold bars and the coins on Friday, 7th April saying he had found them in his flat.
The 29-year-old man says he was clearing out junk from his home when he stumbled across the haul.
Mannheim Police Headquarters said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “It was a small treasure, consisting of gold bars and gold coins valued at more than EUR 135,000 [GBP 118,633].
“The young man had found this during a declutter in Heidelberg.
“It is currently under investigation to whom the valuables originally belonged.”
Police now have to see if the gold belongs to any previous resident of the apartment they can track down.
If they are located, under local law, the declutterer can expect a finder’s fee of more than EUR 4,000 (GBP 3,518).
Under German law, people who find large sums of money and report it are eligible for a finder’s fee of five per cent for the first EUR 500 (GBP 439) and three per cent of any additional amount.
But they get to keep the lot if the original owner can’t be traced within six months.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
