Woman loses smartphone in Hamburg - finder brings back luck!

Woman loses smartphone in Hamburg - finder brings back luck!

An incident in Hamburg Ottensen took an exciting and happy turn, where a 38-year-old woman lost her smartphone worth 1,000 euros on Friday afternoon. Shortly before 4 p.m. she reported the loss to the Altona federal police station, where the officers immediately began to investigate the matter. But fate had been kind to her: While the police were working on the case, the woman's partner contacted her to tell her that the cell phone had been found. Coincidentally, the finder, a 41-year-old man, had dialed the partner's number when he made the call.

The finder didn't wait long and appeared in person at the police station a short time later to return the smartphone. The federal police praised his behavior as exemplary. “The finder did exactly the right thing,” said Federal Police spokesman Woldemar Lieder, adding that it is important to report the loss of a found item either to the owner or the police. Otherwise, failure to report could be viewed as embezzlement. This is particularly relevant because if the item is worth more than 10 euros, it must be handed in to the police or lost property office, as swr3.de reports.

Legal framework

The legal situation is clear: finders must report the find, otherwise they risk legal consequences. Finds worth up to 10 euros can be kept, but particularly valuable items such as the woman's smartphone entail a claim to a finder's fee. For a value up to 500 euros, the finder's fee is 5%, for higher sums it is 5% on the first 500 euros and 3% on the rest. If the original owner does not contact you within six months, the finder even becomes the legal owner of the find - this could also happen for the finder of the cell phone in Hamburg if contact is missed.

However, special rules apply to finds on public transport: the limit for entitlement to a finder's fee is 50 euros, and the finder's fee is only half of the usual rate. An example from 2016 shows that if 20,000 euros were found on a bus, only 305 euros in finder's fees were paid out. These legal requirements are important for everyone who is confronted with found objects in everyday life, be it on the subway or while walking in the park. So a discerning finder could definitely get a good deal if he acts honestly and follows the rules.

Outlook and conclusion

The case from Hamburg reminds us that not only our ability to discern is required when we find objects, but also our willingness to help and our sense of law and order. These positive examples highlight the importance of acting decently and respecting the legal framework. A finder's fee can be a nice reward for a good deed. But ultimately it is the integrity of the finder that counts - and the joy of the recovered owners, as in the case of this 38-year-old woman in Hamburg.

For all those who are unsure about what rights and obligations they have in the event of a discovery, we recommend taking a look at the detailed information on anwaltauskunft.de. This means everyone stays well informed and can make the right decisions quickly.