Help me return a found wallet

August 19, 2004 3:02 PM

A construction person outside my apartment handed me a found wallet, asking if it was mine. It wasn't, but I decided to take it upon myself to find the owner. A white pages search turns up no phone # for the owner. Is there any option other than dropping it off at his home address, which is somewhat inconvenient?
posted by O9scar to Human Relations (11 answers total)

You could just mail it to them.
posted by cmonkey at 3:07 PM on August 19, 2004

Give the wallet to the police. If the owner is looking for the wallet, he's probably already called them.
posted by profwhat at 3:07 PM on August 19, 2004

or you could put up flyers in front of the building, and ask for them to describe the contents to get it.
posted by amberglow at 3:08 PM on August 19, 2004

You've got two options:

1) Give it to the police/state troopers, and have them track the owner down. If they don't have any luck after 30 days, they'll likely give you the wallet. You could then elect to keep any money inside, and mail the wallet or any ID to the owner.

2) Replace the cash inside with a money order and mail the wallet (with postal insurance, naturally) back to the owner.

On preview: aw, damn. What they said.
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:09 PM on August 19, 2004

Check the city directory at the public library (they will probably be willing to do this over the phone). It might have a number that isn't in the phone book. (You can usually look by address or by name).
posted by IshmaelGraves at 3:22 PM on August 19, 2004

check the city directory at the public library

Similarly, if the person has a library card, the library will likely have contact information for the person. While they might not give you the phone number, I bet they'd be willing to make a call on your behalf.
posted by jessamyn at 3:39 PM on August 19, 2004

If you just drop the wallet in a public mailbox it will be returned to the owner. I'd maybe take the cash, write him/her a check or get a money order and mail that to her though, as already suggested.
posted by tetsuo at 4:05 PM on August 19, 2004

If you know the address, just write them a letter telling them you have their wallet and to call you so they can come pick it up.

pwb.
posted by pwb503 at 5:17 PM on August 19, 2004

When this happened to me the person who found my wallet dropped it off at the nearest branch of my bank (found out, naturally, from my debit card). They contacted me. The only drag was I wasn't able to thank that person.
posted by argybarg at 7:45 PM on August 19, 2004

We used to get things like this all the time at blockbuster if they had a blockbuster card in them, I think branches like that are usually more than happy to contact them and hold the items because it makes them look good in the eyes of the customer, and it's so easy.
posted by rhyax at 10:50 PM on August 19, 2004

Does it say "Bad Motherfucker" on it?
posted by pissfactory at 5:52 AM on August 20, 2004