The law is clear, but in reality, it is sometimes difficult to apply. Because this prohibition is very little respected (even by the most honest person).
We are all honest citizens and yet, when faced with this situation, we all react more or less the same way. But the law is clear and imposes a certain conduct, which, depending on the case and especially the amount of the sum identified, is respected or not. And this has happened to all of us, mainly on the street or in a public place. So what do you do when you find money on the ground? Can we consider it to be ours and from what amount?
Of course, if the person walking in front of us drops a bill in the street and we see him doing so, most of us would call on him to return the money. It is also in these moments that we distinguish between honest and dishonest people (those who pocket the amount discreetly without telling anyone). But sometimes, you can come across one or more coins, a note or even a bundle. And if there is nothing and no one around, we tend to keep what we have found, with the feeling of having won the lottery!
However, the law prohibits keeping money found on the ground, regardless of the amount. You must legally hand over the amount to the nearest police station or gendarmerie, within 24 hours. The latter will be able to determine the source of this sum and, in certain cases, carry out an investigation (particularly when the amount is large). If there is nothing suspicious in all this, the money is then given to the municipality who will be responsible for finding the owner to return their property.
According to article 2276 of the Civil Code, the owner has three years to claim a lost item. If he does not do so, it is only at the end of this period that the property belongs to you. Furthermore, everything depends on the town halls: some keep the money for a year. In Paris, objects valued at 100 euros are kept for three months and for a year beyond this sum.
If you do not return the money that you (luckily) found in the street, be aware that you risk a fine of 1,500 euros and a year in prison, since you could be prosecuted for “refusing to collaborate”. Finally, be careful not to confuse a sum of money found in the street, and a wad of hidden or buried banknotes which could then be considered “treasure”. Because the conditions are very different: according to article 716 of the Civil Code, the sum must be divided equally between the person who found it and the person who owns the land in which the treasure was hidden.