Enter the first lady again: She said she paid for the ticket, it was hers, and she wanted her money. Lawsuit, court, blah, blah....the judge agreed. The dumpster diver was told to give up her winnings. Really?
It seems to me when you throw something away you forfeit any rights you had to it. If this is the new standard of ownership what about all those people who find a painting in their dusty 100-year-old attic or left curbside for anyone to pick up is worth a fortune? Who owns it? The same with a dropped winning ticket found at the racetrack? Who do YOU think should get the winnings?
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Things continue to look bleak at work. I still can't get over how the politicians and the greedy bankers have ruined our economy. We have several small jobs dangling in front of us, but they just get us by month-to-month. I'm extremely grateful to have them, don't misunderstand, but I need another real project to work on. We have our eye on a lucrative commercial job that is in the talking stages, but that will be many months (a year?) before any $$$ changes hands. A prospective client from last year said he should be ready to build a new home for his family starting in June, but with him things tend to get put off. We're sending letters to many of our customers from years past asking if it's time for some updating. We'll see.
S
I guess legally the trash belonged to the store. The woman who purchased the ticket might have a claim against the store for telling her the ticket was no good, but it was really her responsibility to check for herself instead of making the clerk (scanner) do the checking. A dishonest clerk might keep the winning ticket for himself and just say it was a loser.
ReplyDeleteGood point Steve. But what if the dumpster itself was the property of a commercial company like BFI? Would they have a claim? Who was it that created "value" out of that ticket? Until it was redeemed it was just a piece of paper. Pretty murky water I think.
ReplyDeleteS
I would love to know how she prooved she baught the ticket in the first place. I say if she is that stupid the money would be all gone in less than a year anyway!
ReplyDeleteCranky Old Man
Funny - I just read about this in the German newspaper (yes, stuff like that makes the German newspaper...). The article explained that the store manager, indeed, has filed a claim for the winnings. Her argument: a sign posted next to the trash bin, telling customers not to "help themselves" to the contents of the trash bin.
ReplyDeleteShaking my head here.
Great idea about going after business from former clients who might want updates.