Found money

A few months ago I got a letter from a Bakersfield, Calif., law office informing me that a taxing agency in Texas had transferred $408 to the state comptroller’s office, the money property tax overpayment. The letter stated that if I signed and returned an enclosed document, the attorneys would secure my $408 from the State of Texas and then forward the money to me, after taking a 10 percent fee.

Hmm, said I. Let’s check this out.

A search of the comptroller’s office web site showed, sure enough, the state held my $408, since the taxing agency had not been able to contact me. The web site had a form to complete and the state would mail a check. Well. I completed the form and then emailed the Bakersfield firm, advising them of my action and that I would send them a check for the 10 percent.

I also searched the firm’s actions. I was surprised at what I found:

Complaint after complaint, all in the vein of: “Yeah, I got a letter from them and they said I was owed (an amount) and they would get it for me and take 10 percent. They want to take some of my money! It’s my money, not theirs. This is a ripoff!”

Wait a minute, said I. You get information about money due you, money you didn’t know about, and you’re bitching about a 10 percent finder’s fee? You want to piss and moan about getting 90 percent of money you didn’t even know about?

Here’s a question: If the pissers and moaners found a bag of cash and a name and address and returned the cash to its owner, reckon they’d expect a reward for being honest?

Yeah, I think they would, too.