Mystery of orange bucket full of money found by road in central France

Police in central France have launched an appeal asking the owner of ‘an orange bucket full of money’ to come forward and claim it. 

The Puy-de-Dôme gendarmerie launched the appeal on social media this morning (September 4), after the bucket was found in Clermont-Ferrand. 

“A small orange bucket, found on Place de Verdun in Clermont-Ferrand with a large sum of cash, is looking for its wealthy owner,” says the post. 

The bucket was found on August 27.

The owner – or anyone with information about the bucket – is encouraged to contact the local gendarmerie. 

The bucket was handed over to police by a passerby who spotted it, with a police station just 200 metres away. 

The police are open to any of several possibilities as to the source of the money from the result of drug dealing, a burglary or more simply someone who misplaced their savings. 

What to do if you find a stash of money

Rules in France state that people who find a sum of money or objects stashed away in the wild must report it to the police or gendarmes within 24 hours.

If no one comes forward within one year, the funds are split between the person who found it and the owner of the land on which it was found. If found on public land and not claimed the full amount is given to the person who discovered it.

In all cases, recipients must wait another three years before being able to fully spend it – in the meantime, they are merely ‘usufructuaries’ and must return the money (or other valuable item) if the original owner comes forward.