Who Gets the 75 Million Won Found in an Apartment Flowerbed if the Owner Is Not Found?

If Not Claimed Within 6 Months, Finder May Keep
But Might Have to Share with Apartment Management

The lost gold bars found in a luxury apartment in Seoul have been returned to their owner, while attention is also focused on how the 75 million KRW found twice in a flowerbed of an apartment in Ulsan will be handled if the owner is not found.

If the owner does not appear within 6 months, 22% tax is deducted and the finder receives the money... However, there is a possibility of sharing with the occupant of the building

50 million KRW in cash found in a flowerbed of an apartment in Ulsan. [Image source=Ulsan Police Agency]

On the 9th, the Ulsan Southern Police Station announced that 50 million KRW and 25 million KRW were found consecutively in a flowerbed of an apartment in Ulsan, but the owner of the cash bundles has not yet been identified. The police stated that if the owner does not appear or cannot be identified, the cash is likely to be subject to the Civil Act and the Lost Property Act. Article 253 of the Civil Act stipulates that "If the owner does not claim ownership within 6 months after public notice according to the law, the finder acquires ownership of the lost property." If the owner of the money is not identified or does not appear and the police determine there is no connection to a crime, the cash will be treated as lost property and ownership will likely be transferred to the finder. Therefore, the security guard and the janitor who found the money may receive ownership. Upon acquiring ownership of lost property, it is considered miscellaneous income under the Income Tax Act, and the finder will receive the amount after deducting 22% tax.

However, since the cash was found in the apartment flowerbed, ownership may not be granted solely to them. The Lost Property Act states that "When an item belonging to another is found in a building with a manager, the actual finder and the occupant of the building must share ownership equally according to the Civil Act." Therefore, the security guard and janitor who found the money may have to share ownership with the apartment management office or similar occupant. Ultimately, after deducting taxes and splitting ownership with the building occupant, each party would receive 19.5 million KRW and 9.75 million KRW respectively.

Apartment where 50 million KRW cash bundle was found, another 25 million KRW discovered... Police investigating "possible criminal links"

Earlier, on the 4th, a security guard at an apartment in Ulsan discovered 50 million KRW in cash inside a black plastic bag placed in a flowerbed during patrol. Then, on the 6th, a janitor at the same apartment found 25 million KRW in cash inside a black plastic bag about 1 meter away from the first discovery spot. The cash found was all in 50,000 KRW bills, bundled in stacks of 100 bills each.

The police are currently verifying the names of the withdrawal persons and withdrawal dates through commercial banks. The cash bundles were tied with bands at the time of discovery, and the police have identified the bank from which the money was withdrawn based on the bank name written on the bands. Additionally, the police are analyzing 15 days of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage around the apartment to find the person who left the money, but there is no CCTV directly covering the flowerbed where the money was found, making it difficult to find clues.

The police estimate that the cash bundles found twice show signs of being wet and have been in the flowerbed for some time. The police are focusing on finding the owner first and plan to investigate whether there is any connection to crimes such as drugs or voice phishing after the owner is found.

Gold bars also found in a Seoul apartment... Owner, a man in his 70s, retrieved them

Meanwhile, gold bars lost at a recycling sorting center in a high-end apartment in the Gangnam area of Seoul were found earlier. A post titled "The Majesty of Seoul A Apartment Recycling Center" was uploaded on an online community, attracting attention. On the 4th, JTBC reported that the apartment recycling center stated, "The owner recently appeared and retrieved the gold bars."