Mom discovers money owed to 35-year-old son on unclaimed property website, then demands 50% of the findings, son refuses: 'I thought you were kidding'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 14, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

What is a finder's fee? And does it apply in this situation? 

When I was thirteen, I was on a caravan trip with my family, and I found a big stack of rolled bills someone had dropped near our campsite. I was so excited, I thought I had won the lottery. It was a lot of money, much more than my teenage brain could comprehend or decide what to do with. I felt like I could buy a house right there and then.

Five minutes after my grand discovery, I hear my mom and dad fighting. Apparently, Dad lost the cash he took out for the caravan trip, and Mom was furious that her let that happen. I realized immediately what happened, and since I was a good daughter, I brought my cherished findings to my parents and told them I found the lost cash.

Did I expect some kind of prize, a finder's fee if you will, for my contribution? Definitely. I was already thinking of all the clothes I could buy. But all my parents did was give me a kiss on the head and thank me profusely. And I get it. The money was never mine to begin with, and my parents needed it much more than I did. Not to mention that they used it for the trip I was on, something that I also happily benefited from.

Does the mother in the story below have any claim to the money she found for her son? After all, she was the one who discovered it sitting unclaimed on a property website, and she was the one who informed her son about its existence.

Well, just like I didn't have a claim to my dad's money, this mom doesn't have a claim to her son's. If he wants to reward her for her help, he totally can, but that is his decision to make, and not a demand that should come from her. Unfortunately, she doesn't see it like that, as she is sure she deserves at least half the findings. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • Middle-aged mom reading on her laptop.
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova

    Middle-aged mom reading on her laptop.

    Subject is a model.

  • Moral dilemma: My husband (35M) and I have been married for 14 years. His mom called him a few weeks ago asking for
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • his SSN because she was looking for money owed to the family on that one lost money website.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • She said she found money *from Kansas* which he hasn't lived in since he was 11 years old. (24 years ago)
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • She now expects my husband to pay her half since she found it.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • He asked where the money came from, and apparently his father (still living) had put it away for his education.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • My husband *joined the United States Navy just so he could get an education.* After his honorable discharge, he enrolled into culinary school. He
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • completed 2 and half semesters before being hit with a bill from the VA stating they had overpayed his school. (Apparently
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • there is a cap on how much they're willing to pay) So, husband dropped out and that's when we got sked into working at
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • Jimmy John's so we could afford to feed our baby. So, the money set aside for him is only *half his* now because he didn't *complete* his education?
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • Here's the thing: 1. I also checked that website a few months ago on behalf of my husband and I, but I only considered looking
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • into states that *we were adults in*. Neither of us would have considered to check Kansas since he never worked in Kansas as a
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • child. Had he not given her his SSN, he could have just as easily filed for the money owed to him himself.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • Middle-aged mom standing in her living room, looking disappointed.
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova

    Middle-aged mom standing in her living room, looking disappointed.

    Subject is a model.

  • 2. His mother only just a couple of months ago bragged to my husband and I about how they are officially *millionaires* after their 401Ks and retirement.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • So, why is she suddenly checking for lost money *24 years* later?
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • The money has been received, and turns out, it's a $6,000 check written in my husband's *and only my husband's name..mailed to my husband's house. Only
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • able to be deposited *by my husband who *will be taxed on it* Why does she get half?
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • mhck She doesn't! Easy. Mom is TA. Every time she brings it up, laugh like she's made a hilarious joke because she couldn't possibly be serious about that!
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • myocardia27 She does not get half. Just tell her no. It's a complete sentence.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • KrofftSurvivor She doesn't. And if he's so eager to give her a finder's fee, it's 5%, not 50%.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • c_ul8tr Years ago a coworker pointed me to the lost money site, where I recovered $1500. I gave him $50. He was shocked I gave him money. I can't imagine expecting my kid to give me half of THEIR money.
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • Commission No4155 She doesn't get half. Not hers. What does hubby say?
    via BottomShelfVodka
  • BottomShelfVodka OP He replied "I thought you were kidding" (knowing dwell that's a lie)
    via BottomShelfVodka

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

family drama marriage kids mother parenting family property money women son parents children Father
Scroll Down For The Next Article