Can you imagine finding a treasure and winning more than $50,000 unexpectedly? This is what happened to a group of workers after the demolition of a house. While the work was being carried out, an unexpected discovery was made; the workers uncovered a hidden treasure. It was a jar full of gold coins that they distributed among those present.
The discovery helped the workers earn around $50,000 from its sale. However, the children of the deceased owner of the house claimed ownership of the coins. Through an attorney, they sued the workers for misappropriation and for violating the State Heritage Law. The case is currently in court with possible charges of theft, and awaiting a decision on the ownership of the coins.
Demolition with a surprise
In 2019, workmen got a surprise of thousands of euros after a demolition at a house in Belgium. According to Dhnet, the three workers found a jar full of gold coins inside the property. What they thought was a stroke of luck turned into one of their worst nightmares that lasts to this day.
The owner of the house had passed away, and far from informing their children or relatives of their find, they decided to divide it up and take advantage of it. They went to Antwerp, one of the largest precious metal markets in Europe, and put their coins up for sale. They were offered a total of 52,517€; $56,000. With such a riot, who wouldn’t be jumping for joy?
The nightmare begins
According to the workers, they did not know that the treasure belonged to the former owner. I guess they thought that the coins appeared there by magic. When the children of the deceased found out what had happened, they could not believe it. It was their inherited wealth and it had been stolen and sold without their consent. For this reason, with the help of a lawyer, they filed a complaint against the workers. They were charged with theft, misappropriation and violating the State Heritage Law.
The case is still pending
The lawyer drafted the lawsuit in great detail, substantiating the accusations. It was not only an emotional loss for those affected, but the current value of the coins is more than double what the workers earned. After a market study, it was alleged that the coins would be worth $255,000 (240,000 euros) today. This is not just any theft, but a “financial legacy”. The DHnet media outlet picked up his statements in which he explained that “They didn’t just steal a few coins,” the lawyer told the Belgian media outlet DHnet. “They robbed our clients of an important long-term investment”.
What law protects the affected parties?
This is the main problem of the case and why it has been in court for so long. In 2021, Belgium underwent a complete revision of the Civil Code. This entailed the implementation of a new Property Law. Where is the problem? The complaint was filed in 2020, so it was unclear under which law to try this case. Finally, as the alleged theft occurred in 2019, the decision was made to rely on the pre-change legislation of 2021. As legal expert Michiel Descheemaeker explained in the Belgian press HLN, “The property reform of 2021 changed everything – but this case falls under the old rules.
Can you imagine discovering a treasure and ending up trapped in this legal hell? The best advice is that if you find something in someone else’s house, whether it is of value or not, it most likely belongs to the owners of the house. It is best to inform them of the find and avoid situations like the one these three workers are going through.