Chicago Couple Returns $23,800 That A Chicago Real Estate Attorney Says Was Legally Theirs To Keep

18-Nov-2011 Ask any real estate lawyer in Chicago and they will tell you that when you buy a home you are also buying all of its contents. That means that if the home is furnished that furniture is yours to sell or keep. The same goes for a bag of money found in an old mattress. According to the Chicago Tribune a bag of money is exactly what one Chicago couple found inside a mattress of a home they had bought from an elderly deceased woman.

The bag of money contained $23,800, all of which was theirs to keep according to laws outlined by Chicago real estate attorneys. The Chicago Tribune article explained that after finding the money the couple pondered the situation. The home they bought was built in the 1940's and was in need of new windows and new wiring. Not to mention the expenses involved with having children.

Despite any temptation the couple may have had to keep the money they decided to give it back to the son of the deceased woman. According to the Chicago Tribune article, the couple returned the money directly to the sum who appeared shocked at its existence and extremely grateful for the honesty of the new homeowners.

This is not a situation that you see everyday but it does happen sometimes. This is an example of why it can be so beneficial to include a Chicago real estate attorney on your team when you buy a home. When buying or selling a property the issue of a lien on the home or title confusion can come about and you will want an experienced real estate attorney on your side to help you sort things out. Even if you've bought and paid for a home it could turn out that the title is flawed or that someone else has legal rights to your home. Circumstances like this do not come up often but it's important to feel confident and aware of your legal rights if it ever does.

Had this Chicago couple considered keeping the money they found in the mattress they would probably have been told that it was theirs to keep. When they bought their home they also bought its contents and that usually includes any money hidden inside. This couple decided to follow their hearts and do what they believed was morally responsible in this situation but there were no legal requirements for them to return the money.

Chang and Carlin
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