Nobody has claimed this money in years, so is it unlawful to take it if I know all the info?
2007-10-23 02:58:57 · 8 answers · asked by deon7388 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Nobody has claimed this money in years, so is it unlawful to take it if I know all the info?
(And it's in another continent...)
2007-10-23 03:00:45 · update #1
It's illegal to take it if you have no rightful claim to it. That's called "theft".
2007-10-23 03:08:09 · answer #1 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's unlawful to take it. It belongs to the heirs of the deceased person - whoever and wherever they are (or where the money is). If the person had left a house and no one moved in you cannot move in either just because it's empty.
2007-10-23 10:11:12 · answer #2 · answered by Martin S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Upon death all the possessions of the person go to an heir (if they don't have a will) or a devisee (is they do have a will) meaning it is someone else's property. Therefore it is a theft. You don't have possession of it, so there is no way you can claim adverse possession or laches, or you can not get it. You do not have a legal right to the money.
2007-10-23 10:33:41 · answer #3 · answered by Damien T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, it may NOT be illegal. If the money has been sitting dormant for years it may be on the roster of 'unclaimed property' in your state.
Contact the Secretary of State's office in your state for directions on how to claim it if you can affirm that it is indeed unclaimed.
Funds that lay dormant for a number of years (depending on the state) are available to be claimed by relatives of a deceased person who can show by convincing proof a direct relationship to the holder of the property.
2007-10-23 11:11:35 · answer #4 · answered by hexeliebe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yup. It sure is. ANd the account would be locked anyway. EVen if you DID know all the information, there is legal aperwork to be filed by the executor to get the account UNlocked. The chances you could forge those are pretty slim. I wouldn't try it.
2007-10-23 10:06:46 · answer #5 · answered by Quietman40 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the person is deceased, the funds may be frozen. And unless you are the executor of the estate, yes it would be illegal for you to get the money from the bank. UNLESS your name is on the bank account too.
2007-10-23 10:03:46 · answer #6 · answered by Leah 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Give me the information, I'll find out for you if it's against the law, lol.
Yes it is against the law especially if you and the deceased don't have any family relation.
2007-10-23 10:07:54 · answer #7 · answered by John 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whether it is legal or not, I wouldn't want to test the legality of it.
2007-10-23 10:04:37 · answer #8 · answered by Sunshine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋