Encountering a large sum of money left on the side of the road, a family promptly turned it in to the authorities.
Have you ever found a significant amount of money on the street? Maybe $5, $20 or even $100? Well, one family can say they found a whopping $1 million just lying around, but instead of keeping it, they immediately handed it in to the authorities.
During a drive through Caroline County, Virginia in May 2020, the Schantz family drove over a bag in the road on a Saturday afternoon.
The Schantz family was driving through Caroline County, Virginia, when they ran over a bag in the road, assuming it was trash. They stopped, collected the bag and placed it in the back of their truck, planning to dispose of it later.
Upon arriving home, Emily Schantz opened the bag and was initially disappointed to find numerous small plastic bags inside.
Emily examined one of the bags closely and found the words “Cash Vaults” written on it.
Upon opening one of the smaller bags, she was amazed by what she saw.
Upon opening another bag, Emily was amazed to find that it too contained an abundance of $100 bills.
Upon hearing about the discovery, the Schantz family quickly came to the decision that the right thing to do was to return the money to its rightful owner(s).
So without any hesitation, they drove to the police headquarters and handed over all of the money to the authorities.
“You do the right thing and return it, because it doesn’t belong to us.” – Emily Schantz.
The police notified the nearby post office depot that the Schantz family had turned in the $1 million that had been lost.
The representatives from the post office were thankful but bewildered about how the money had ended up on the roadside.
The Schantz family has been praised by many community leaders for doing the right thing, and some suggest that they should be rewarded for their actions.
Shortly after, a nearby news crew produced a segment on this tale.
Within days of its posting, the YouTube video of the report has accumulated more than 20,000 views, along with dozens of likes and over 100 comments.
Opinions are split. Some assert that the family did the right thing:
Meanwhile, others have labeled the family as utterly foolish:
Did the family do right thing or demonstrate sheer “stupidity”?
Numerous individuals appear to be presuming that the money belonged to the US Post Office, implying that taking it would have been a victimless offense. However, this might not be the scenario.
Several individuals who have criticized the family’s actions as foolish appear to be operating under the premise that money equates to happiness.
Undoubtedly, individuals require a specific sum of money to maintain a comfortable standard of living. However, $1 million in illicit gains? Maybe the family would have endured a constant sense of guilt? Perhaps they were content with the money they had legitimately earned?
Individuals who work hard understand the gratification that accompanies earning a salary. The Schantz family members appear to embody this ethos.