Finder's fee

[ODRB]

I am shocked how few people give a reward to folks who return their discs. I give one 100% of the time when I've gotten a call about a lost disc.
I've returned probably 20-ish discs over the years, and have gotten "rewards" only twice. I've never asked for anything in return for returning someone's lost disc.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I barter with beer. I've never liked exchanging cash

 

[ODRB]

I only gave cash one time, because I brought a beer for the guy, but he said he didn't drink. So I gave him a $5. Normally beer or some other little goody or toy.

 

[discguy42]

I found a basically new TP World at my home course yesterday. Contacted the guy and he was excited to get my text and get his disc back.

He wondered how to get it back as he lives in north MS. I told him it was simple, I would mail it back to him, problem solved. He thanked me and called me a "Class-Act". I am even gonna send it on my dime or I should say my $3 as I asked nothing in return.

I could have been a dick, wiped the ink ( easily done, it was sliver sharpie ) and sold it for a quick $10 or $12 bucks here in the marketplace.

My integrity as a person is worth more than a few bucks of profit from ill gotten gains. I will gladly spend a few dollars to do the right thing and keep some disc karma going in the universe. I may even get some good "word of mouth" that might make our local course worth a stop to him and his friends when they look for places to travel and play.

Contacting someone and demanding money as a ransom of sorts to get your disc back is a MAJOR Douche-nozzle move on his part :thmbdown:. That disc would have to be one I really wanted back to even consider rewarding his "effort" and meeting his monetary demands. I love me some DX Cobras but, I might have to tell him to, "shove it where the sun don't shine" :gross:.

 

[Stankyjahnke]

I'd gladly pay someone 5$ for them to get my discs out of a lake. I don't throw any dx plastic. that I give away to noobies.

 

[Monkeypaws]

I myself return whenever I get the chance, and expect nothing in return.

We do live in a society where capitalism is held sacred however.

 

[yesiam]

I returned a lot of disc and not once was money or beer offer to me. What do you call those people? My Cheap a$$ Friends....

 

[DavidSauls]

I returned a lot of disc and not once was money or beer offer to me. What do you call those people? My Cheap a$$ Friends....

With a unique situation, I've doubtless returned over 100 discs. Few offers for payment, and none accepted. As for the rest, what do I call those people? Hopefully, people who would return the favor if the situation were reversed.

 

[hook_nuts]

Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim it.*

If you leave a disc in a lake you abandoned it. You could argue you intended to dive for it later but if we are practical there's very few that will. I've never inked a disc and never will because if I give up on finding it I forfeit ownership. I hope someone finds it and puts it to use. If someone feels the need to ink a disc I return it though no charge.

 

[Mattallica]

Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim it.*

If you leave a disc in a lake you abandoned it. You could argue you intended to dive for it later but if we are practical there's very few that will. I've never inked a disc and never will because if I give up on finding it I forfeit ownership. I hope someone finds it and puts it to use. If someone feels the need to ink a disc I return it though no charge.

If you frequent courses with water and you know the local pond divers you may change your tune. Although I tend to agree with you.

 

[nevets4433]

Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim it.*

If you leave a disc in a lake you abandoned it. You could argue you intended to dive for it later but if we are practical there's very few that will. I've never inked a disc and never will because if I give up on finding it I forfeit ownership. I hope someone finds it and puts it to use. If someone feels the need to ink a disc I return it though no charge.

I agree with you. I come from a "ball golf" background. I never lost a ball that I expected to be returned. Some of them go for $4 a pop.

DG isn't that different. I've paid $20 for a disc, but it doesn't impact my financial future that badly if I lose one.

I mark my discs like I marked my golf balls...with something that I can recognize and easily identify as my own. But I don't put my number on it, and I don't put my name.

Now if I find a disc with someone's name on it, I tend to give a reasonable chance at returning it, which I have done on multiple occasions. But I will NOT do so at my cost. If you want it mailed, you pay the postage. I don't want a finders' fee (although a local course I play on advises you to turn in all found discs to them - those guys then sell them for profit or return them for a fee themselves. I do not participate in that program, especially since the course is a pay-to-play. I will return the disc for free).

Here is the deal...we should all be good humans and return discs when we can. But in the end, these things aren't made of gold. And part of the game is losing discs. It happens. The manufactures make more than we can lose.

 

[DavidSauls]

Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim it.*

If you leave a disc in a lake you abandoned it. You could argue you intended to dive for it later but if we are practical there's very few that will. I've never inked a disc and never will because if I give up on finding it I forfeit ownership. I hope someone finds it and puts it to use. If someone feels the need to ink a disc I return it though no charge.

Was there supposed to be something to go with that asterisk? A citation, perhaps?

I have often returned to retrieve lost discs when I would have time/daylight/tools/clothes necessary. I haven't abandoned them, just lost them.

In many states, finding abandoned property doesn't entitle the finder to ownership. It goes to the State.

It is, of course, always true that used discs are of such low value that the prosecution of the law is extremely unlikely. No one's calling the police or the local prosecutor to reclaim their property. I do wish that people who wish to keep and sell what they find would just admit they're doing it because they want to and can get away with it, and not try to cloak their actions in rights or law.

 

[scotnt73]

My buddy puts his name and number in sharpie as well as 5$ reward on it in ink. He gets most of his discs back.

 

[hook_nuts]

Was there supposed to be something to go with that asterisk? A citation, perhaps?

I have often returned to retrieve lost discs when I would have time/daylight/tools/clothes necessary. I haven't abandoned them, just lost them.

In many states, finding abandoned property doesn't entitle the finder to ownership. It goes to the State.

It is, of course, always true that used discs are of such low value that the prosecution of the law is extremely unlikely. No one's calling the police or the local prosecutor to reclaim their property. I do wish that people who wish to keep and sell what they find would just admit they're doing it because they want to and can get away with it, and not try to cloak their actions in rights or law.

Property is generally deemed to have been abandoned if it is found in a place where the true owner likely intended to leave it, but is in such a condition that it is apparent that he or she has no intention of returning to claim it. Abandoned property generally becomes the property of whoever should find it and take possession of it first, although some states have enacted statutes under which certain kinds of abandoned property*– usually cars, wrecked ships and wrecked aircraft*–escheat, meaning that they become the property of the state.

Idk where * was from. I just don't understand if someone deems the effort to find a disc is more than the value of the disc how they think they retain ownership. Most people are basically saying either 1) no one find "my" disc or 2) if it's found pay to mail it back because I didn't tell you that you could/should find it. Once again if someone inks it I return it since people are weird about it. No hiding behind laws. Just can't understand that logic.

 

[DavidSauls]

Idk where * was from. I just don't understand if someone deems the effort to find a disc is more than the value of the disc how they think they retain ownership. Most people are basically saying either 1) no one find "my" disc or 2) if it's found pay to mail it back because I didn't tell you that you could/should find it. Once again if someone inks it I return it since people are weird about it. No hiding behind laws. Just can't understand that logic.

I agree with the second part. The finder has no obligation to return it, at his expense or additional effort. If he notifies the owner, it's the owner's expense and effort after that.

When I find a disc, in water or elsewhere, I can't tell whether it is truly abandoned, or whether the owner will return at the end of his round, or later than day, or the next day, when he has the clothes/equipment/time/daylight to search for it. How can I declare it abandoned? All I'm sure of is (1) it's not mine and (2) I've left discs in all kinds of places, temporarily, for various reasons, so there's a definite possibility that the owner has done the same.

(If the condition of the discs indicates it's been there for weeks or months, well, maybe then).

 

[hook_nuts]

I agree with the second part. The finder has no obligation to return it, at his expense or additional effort. If he notifies the owner, it's the owner's expense and effort after that.

When I find a disc, in water or elsewhere, I can't tell whether it is truly abandoned, or whether the owner will return at the end of his round, or later than day, or the next day, when he has the clothes/equipment/time/daylight to search for it. How can I declare it abandoned? All I'm sure of is (1) it's not mine and (2) I've left discs in all kinds of places, temporarily, for various reasons, so there's a definite possibility that the owner has done the same.

(If the condition of the discs indicates it's been there for weeks or months, well, maybe then).

Valid points. It's usually pretty easy to tell though. But you know, I think the world would be a better place with no inked discs. Makes them so ugly.

 

[JC17393]

Valid points. It's usually pretty easy to tell though. But you know, I think the world would be a better place with no inked discs. Makes them so ugly.

And ink makes them so much harder to get away with keeping it, right? (I kid, I kid)


Thing is it absolutely isn't "easy" to tell lost versus abandoned, for the simple fact that you don't know the circumstances involved in how that disc came to be out of its owners possession.

If a disc is lost late in the day, and the owner runs out of daylight in his search for the disc and leaves the course without it, is it lost or abandoned?

If a disc is lost during a tournament round in which, by rule, the player and his group has just 3 minutes to locate it or they must move on, is it lost or abandoned?

If a disc is lost and the player is in a rush because he's got to get off the course to pick up his kid at school, is it lost or abandoned?

What if in the meantime, while he's picking up his kid, someone else comes along, finds his disc, and throws it into the pond 5 holes away from where it was originally lost so any attempt to return to the course and search is fruitless? Is the disc resting in the pond lost or abandoned?

In an earlier post, you said "I just don't understand if someone deems the effort to find a disc is more than the value of the disc how they think they retain ownership." My counter to that is how do you know, just by finding the disc, how much effort went into finding the disc and what the circumstances were when that effort was made? You're basing your viewpoint on an assumption. An assumption that is more likely to be incorrect than correct most of the time.

I commend you for doing the right thing with inked discs. The problem really lies with the people who make your argument about "abandoned" discs as a rationalization for keeping or attempting to profit from any disc they find, inked or not. Without being able to prove intent, it's extremely difficult to make a convincing argument that one "abandoned" a disc versus simply losing it.

 

[scarpfish]

I would venture 90+% of the discs fished out of ponds are indeed abandoned. The thing is, the finder doesn't know if he has one of the other <10% until he calls the number inked on it.

 

[UncleSweat]

There's discs I've lost that I would certainly pay $5.00 to have back.

 

[esc1]

Have always figured if someone found one of mine I'd offer to bring them a big cold beverage of their choice, but asking for cash is asking for trouble. I'd sign that person's number if for every spam service I could find. And if a reverse fb search turned up, oh buddy..